Implementation of an inpatient-based buprenorphine induction program in
pediatric and adolescent sickle cell disease.
Abstract
Sickle cell acute pain crisis increase in frequency with age, and some
patients develop chronic pain. Currently there are guidelines for
management of acute pain crisis, but not for chronic pain. Chronic pain
management defaults to long-term opioid therapy. Buprenorphine is a
partial opioid agonist, a potent analgesic, with a respiratory ceiling
effect. It may provide analgesic benefit and a ‘harms reduction
approach’ in the management of chronic pain in pediatric patients with
sickle cell disease. Buprenorphine is increasingly used in adult
patients with sickle cell disease. We describe the inpatient
micro-induction protocol we implemented in our pediatric center.