4th May 2024

A 30-year-old woman with known sickle cell anaemia presents with severe pain in her lower back and legs.

A 30-year-old woman with known sickle cell anaemia presents with severe pain in her lower back and legs. She reports the pain began suddenly and has progressively worsened over the last 12 hours. On examination, she is in distress and reports the pain as 8/10. Her temperature is 37.8°C, and she has mild dehydration but no signs of infection or acute chest syndrome.

Which is the most appropriate first-line management for this patient?