Dr. Ballas Samir Ballas, M.D.

Contact Dr. Ballas

1015 Walnut Street
Suite 320
Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 955-5266
(Voice box 9-8686)
(215) 955-9170 fax

Research and Clinical Interests
Dr. Ballas's laboratory has focused on studying the effects of the genetic features of sickle cell syndromes (α-genotype and β-haplotypes) on the cellular and clinical expression of the disease. Specific approaches included the determination of predictors of the severity of the disease, pathobiology of the disease, cellular changes during painful episodes, and the preventive therapy with Hydroxyurea - an inducer of fetal hemoglobin production. New novel approaches to therapy include aborting the acute painful episode by agents that reduce tissue ischemia and improve blood flow in the microvasculature.

Publications

Most recent Peer-reviewed Publications

  1. Climatic and geographic temporal patterns of pain in the Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea
  2. The cost of health care for patients with sickle cell disease
  3. Corticosteroids and sickle cell disease
  4. Hospital readmission for adult acute sickle cell painful episodes: Frequency, etiology, and prognostic significance
  5. Aggregation of normal and sickle hemoglobin in high concentration phosphate buffer
  6. Gender-specific disease modification by NOS3 (multiple letters)
  7. Safety of purified poloxamer 188 in sickle cell disease: Phase I study of a non-ionic surfactant in the management of acute chest syndrome
  8. Management of acute chest wall sickle cell pain with nebulized morphine
  9. Disparity in the management of iron overload between patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia who received transfusions
  10. Meperidine for Acute Sickle Cell Pain in the Emergency Department: Revisited Controversy
  11. Drugs for preventing red blood cell dehydration in people with sickle cell disease
  12. Clinically significant differences in the visual analog pain scale in acute vasoocclusive sickle cell crisis
  13. Morbidity and mortality in chronically transfused subjects with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease: A report from the multi-center study of iron overload
  14. Does Purity of Supplements Count?
  15. Bloodstream infections in hospitalized adults with sickle cell disease: A retrospective analysis
  16. Hydroxyurea and sickle cell anemia: Effect on quality of life
  17. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels and risk of death in sickle cell disease
  18. Secretory phospholipase A2 levels in patients with sickle cell disease and acute chest syndrome
  19. Utilization of the office, hospital and emergency department for adult sickle cell patients: A five-year study
  20. Folate supplementation and twinning in patients with sickle cell disease

View All Publications