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.
• 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 may require 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
  • 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.
• Sequestration crises occur in both children and adults. It is a serious complication of sickle cell disease.
  • Common symptoms of a splenic sequestration crisis include:
    • Sudden abdominal pain, particularly in the left side where the spleen is located
    • Weakness and pallordue to anemia.
    • Tachycardia(increased heart rate) and signs of hypovolemic shock in severe cases.