Priapism in a Young Adult With Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

This article presents a case study focusing on priapism in a patient with sickle cell disease, with repeated emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. The patient was successfully identified and treated by the ED nurse practitioner (NP) with aspiration of the corpus cavernosum. Priapism is a persistent penile erection that continues for an extended time. There is some argument about what that length of time is, but generally, the consensus is more than 4 hr beyond sexual stimulation or unrelated to sexual stimulation or sexual interest (Bivalacqua et al., 2022). Priapism is a fairly common but underrecognized complication of sickle cell disease. It represents a urological emergency in which timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are vital to preserving penile tissue and sexual function. The diagnosis is made clinically with a comprehensive history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory test values. Initial management can be conservative with hydration and analgesics or, if necessary, more invasive with needle aspiration to promote detumescence. Permanent tissue damage or erectile dysfunction can result if priapism is unrecognized, untreated, or not treated immediately. The NP plays an integral role in treating and preventing permanent damage. Patient education should focus on instructions for preventing priapism and managing episodes at home.