$10 Device Helps Sickle Cell Anemia Patients Researchers Want Lung Exercise To Become Standard Therapy

Researchers say regular use of a simple $10 breathing device may offer relief - and even extend life expectancy - for people with sickle cell anemia.

The genetic blood disorder affects about one in 400 blacks in America. To a lesser degree, it also affects people of Mediterranean descent.

Researchers, who published their findings in last week’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, say exercising the lungs with the breathing device is key.

“We hope this will become a standard of care for (sickle cell) patients who experience acute chest pain,” said Dr. Donald Rucknagel, a researcher at Children’s Hospital Medical Center here.

“If we can prevent these episodes, it should expand life span. But we can’t tell you how much.”

Average life expectancy among victims is 42 years for men and 48 years for women.

Many patients develop lung infections because the pain from the disease prevents them from breathing deeply, said Dr. Paul Bellet, lead author of the study.

Researchers learned that chest and back pain is caused when deformed, sickle-shaped blood cells clog the flow of blood to the ribs, causing the bone to deteriorate.

Various medications are used to relieve the pain, but these also can slow breathing and increase the risk of lung trouble.

The treatment is simple.

Patients use an incentive spirometer, a tube with a pingpong ball inside, by taking deep breaths to suck the pingpong ball to a mark on the cylinder.

The device is used by asthma sufferers and postsurgery patients to prevent lung infections.

Children’s Hospital treats about 250 sickle cell patients a year.

Researchers based their study on 29 patients aged 8 to 21 who were hospitalized a total of 38 times for acute chest pain.

The device was used in half of those hospitalizations.

Researchers recorded eight cases of lung complications in the 19 times the device was not used, compared with only one in the 19 times it was used.

“We intend to let patients use this device at home,” Rucknagel said.

“Whenever they have chest pain, patients should take their medications and use the device every time they use their medications.”

Experts said it was too soon to draw conclusions, but the report’s findings appeared promising.

“Anything that could lessen the morbidity of sickle cell would be desirable,” said Dr. Cheston Berlin Jr., of Pennsylvania State University.

“There are many things that have not panned out. It would be nice if something as simple as that would.”