Clinical Pathway for Vaso-Occlusive Pain Reduces Hospital Admissions

Vaso-occlusive pain leads to high acute care utilization among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Data suggest that clinical pathways (CPWs) reduce variation in the management of vaso-occlusive pain and improve clinical outcomes.

We implemented and evaluated a CPW for vaso-occlusive pain at our institution using a before and after study design. The primary objective was to decrease acute care utilization among patients with SCD, which was assessed by the primary outcome measures of hospital length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission rate, and total hospitalizations annually per patient. Secondary outcome measures were packed red blood cell transfusions, and acute chest syndrome incidence. Patient-controlled analgesia use and promethazine use were assessed to estimate CPW use.

Three hundred fourty-four admissions in 112 patients were analyzed, of which 193 admissions occurred pre-CPW and 151 admissions occurred post-CPW implementation. Post-CPW implementation, we observed a significant decrease in hospital admissions annually per patient, an increase in patient-controlled analgesia use, and a decrease in intravenous promethazine use. We observed trends toward decreased 30-day readmission rate and increased acute chest syndrome incidence, which were not statistically significant. No effect was found on hospital LOS.

Clinical pathway implementation at our institution reduced variation in management and decreased hospital admissions for vaso-occlusive pain.