Hurricane Katrina's Impact on Pediatric and Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Objective. Hurricane Katrina, making landfall in the U.S. in late August 2005, disrupted the medical infrastructure of New Orleans. We hypothesized that Hurricane Katrina measurably affected the ability of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) to receive necessary and adequate health care. Differences in health care delivery among children and adults in New Orleans prior to the hurricane prompted our interest in these two groups. Methods. In May 2006, an anonymous survey was administered via either telephone or written questionnaire to patients in the greater New Orleans, Louisiana area with SCD and/or their guardians. The survey was intended to gauge patients' access to and satisfaction with specialized health care in the months following Hurricane Katrina. Conclusions. Adult patients with SCD who relied almost exclusively on New Orleans' main public hospital (Charity Hospital) for specialized sickle cell services reported significant frustration/dissatisfaction with their medical care eight months after the storm. In contrast, pediatric patients with SCD and their guardians, who rarely received care within the public hospital system, reported more satisfaction with their care. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in their responses to the perception of quality of their health care.