Recognizing Emergencies

Serious symptoms¹ of sickle cell disease are emergencies and need treatment right away. Seek care or call 9-1-1 if someone with SCD is experiencing:  

• Serious anemia can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, and irregular heartbeat.  

• Fever. If the person has a fever of more than 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38.5 degrees Celsius, they may have a serious infection. Seek attention from a healthcare provider and treatment with antibiotics right away. Some people need to be hospitalized for care. 

• Chest pain, coughing, fever, and shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of acute chest syndrome which requires hospitalization. 

• Warning signs of stroke (brain injury): sudden weakness, numbness on one side of the body, confusion, or trouble speaking, seeing, or walking. Call 9-1-1 for any of these warning signs of a stroke.  

• • Remember to act F.A.S.T.²: 

• • • F = Face drooping or twisting 

• • • A = Arm weakness 

• • • S = Speech difficulty 

• • • T = Time to call 911 

• Severe pain. A serious pain event is sometimes called a “pain crisis,” “sickle cell crisis,” or “vaso-occlusive crisis.” Many people with sickle cell disease experience this pain, which often requires in-hospital treatment.