P-60 Sickle Cell Disease Patients’ Self-Reported Experiences Regarding their Emergency Department Pain Management in Nassau, The Bahamas

Methods: This longitudinal study spanned six-months using an administered questionnaire to measure participants’ knowledge of SCD, their knowledge and perception of pain management, and satisfaction with their ED treatment and selected socio-demographic variables. Computer-aided quantitative analyses produced descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Study participants included 30 SCD patients. Their median age grouping was 21-30 (13-20, 21-30) years with 12 (40.0%) male visits and 18 (60.0%) female visits. Patients were generally aware of SCD and care-related factors with just over (70.0%) having adequate to excellent knowledge scores. The ED was the preferred place for help in 27 (90.0%) participants and 28 (93.3%) reported their pain intensity as severe before help was sought. The door-to-doctor time was > one hour for 20 (66.7%) participants and the door-to-analgesia time was > two hours for 17 (56.7%) participants. Seventeen (56.7%) patients disagreed they were seen in a timely fashion. Eighteen (60.0%) patients disagreed that they received analgesics in a timely fashion. Twenty-four (80.0%) participants agreed that they had a knowledgeable attending physician and 25 (83.4%) agreed that they had a good relationship with their physician. Nineteen (63.3%) patients agreed that they received adequate pain management and 20 (66.7%) were satisfied with their ED experience.

Conclusion: Patients were knowledgeable about SCD and their pain management and were satisfied with the care received during their crisis. However, institutional protocols are needed to correct the delay in care during the management of a VOC.