Consultation Liaison Case Conference: Inpatient Psychiatric Consultation for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

ABSTRACT

We present the fictional case of a 29-year-old man with sickle cell disease referred to psychiatry for evaluation of depression during an acute pain episode. Consultation-liaison psychiatrists with expertise in sickle cell disease provide guidance for this commonly encountered clinical case based on their experience and a review of the available literature. Key teaching points include the high prevalence of mood and cognitive disorders in this population, as well as pertinent issues related to chronic pain, opioids, and stigma.