Potential clinical indications for hydroxyurea treatment in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Adapted from Heeney and Ware.4
| Acute vaso-occlusive complications |
| Recurrent painful events |
| Acute chest syndrome |
| Frequent hospitalizations |
| Laboratory markers of severity |
| Low hemoglobin |
| Low fetal hemoglobin |
| Elevated WBC |
| Elevated LDH |
| Organ dysfunction |
| Renal disease (eg, proteinuria) |
| Pulmonary disease (eg, hypoxemia) |
| Neurological disease (eg, elevated TCD velocities, stroke prophylaxis) |
| Miscellaneous |
| Poor growth parameters |
| Patient or family request |
| Sibling on treatment |
| Acute vaso-occlusive complications |
| Recurrent painful events |
| Acute chest syndrome |
| Frequent hospitalizations |
| Laboratory markers of severity |
| Low hemoglobin |
| Low fetal hemoglobin |
| Elevated WBC |
| Elevated LDH |
| Organ dysfunction |
| Renal disease (eg, proteinuria) |
| Pulmonary disease (eg, hypoxemia) |
| Neurological disease (eg, elevated TCD velocities, stroke prophylaxis) |
| Miscellaneous |
| Poor growth parameters |
| Patient or family request |
| Sibling on treatment |