Arginine Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease Pain
Sickle Cell Disease, Vaso-occlusive Pain Episode
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Sickle Cell Disease focused on measuring Arginine Therapy
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Established diagnosis of sickle cell disease (SCD); all genotypes
- Pain requiring medical care in an acute care setting (such as the emergency department or ED, hospital ward, day hospital, clinic) not attributable to non-sickle cell causes, that is moderate-to-severe requiring parenteral opioids
Exclusion Criteria:
- Decision to discharge home from the acute care setting
- Hemoglobin less than 5 gm/dL or immediate need for red cell transfusion anticipated within next 12 hours
- Hepatic dysfunction of SGPT greater than 3 times the upper value
- Renal dysfunction of creatinine greater than 1.0
- Mental status or neurological changes
- Acute stroke or clinical concern for stroke
- Pregnancy
- Allergy to arginine
- Two (2) or more ED visits for VOE within the last 7 days prior to CURRENT ED visit
- Hospitalization within 14 days
- Previous randomization in this arginine RCT (patient consented and screen failed before receiving study drug or placebo remains eligible for future participation).
- Use of inhaled nitric oxide, sildenafil or arginine within the last month
- PICU admission from the emergency department
- Hypotension requiring treatment with clinical intervention
- Acidosis with Co2≤ 16
- Newly started on HU for <3 months
- Not an appropriate candidate in the investigator's judgment
- Patient refusal
Sites / Locations
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hugh Spalding
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Experimental
Placebo Comparator
L-Arginine
Loading Dose and L-Arginine
Placebo
Participants will be randomized to receive an intravenous (IV) infusion of L-arginine (100 mg/kg) three times a day until time of discharge from the emergency department (ED) or hospital.
Participants will be randomized to receive an intravenous (IV) infusion of one-time loading dose of L-arginine (200 mg/kg) followed by standard dose (100 mg/kg) three times a day until time of discharge from the emergency department (ED) or hospital.
Participants will be randomized to receive an intravenous (IV) infusion of placebo (normal saline 1-2 ml/kg) three times a day until time of discharge from the emergency department (ED) or hospital.