Acta haematologica
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation treatment of sickle cell pain crises.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used in a variety of acute and chronic painful conditions, but has not been studied in sickle cell pain crises. We compared TENS versus placebo in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study involving 60 trials in 4 crisis severity categories. ⋯ Patients assessments of overall treatment efficacy indicated that TENS was more frequently helpful, but there was a substantial placebo effect. Although the value of TENS in this condition was not established in this study, further trials, using varied stimulation parameters, are warranted.
-
Thirty-four cases of inherited bleeding disorders are reported. All are Saudi patients from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. ⋯ Consanguinity was common among the families of these patients. Different age groups were affected and the severity of bleeding varied in the different conditions reported.