Symptoms And Treatment Of Sickle Cell Disease Essay

Introduction If you practice nursing on a pediatric unit, you are likely to encounter patients with sickle cell disease. It is important to understand the underlying causes and the complications of the disease. Acute chest syndrome is one of the leading causes of death associated with sickle cell disease. It is critical to understand how to care for these patients holistically. Pathophysiology Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that causes a mutation in the hemoglobin molecule. Normal red blood cells are round and flexible. In a person with sickle cell anemia the blood cells are stiff and sticky. This causes the cells to be misshapen and can become stuck within blood vessels. The disease process also causes a lack of healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout the body (Porth, 2015). Acute chest syndrome is a type of pneumonia caused by these sickled cells blocking blood vessels in the lungs. The syndrome can cause chronic respiratory insufficiency and is a leading cause of death in sickle cell disease (Porth, 2015). Laboratory and Diagnostics Sickle cell anemia is diagnosed by performing a blood drawn to check for hemoglobin S, the defective form of hemoglobin. Blood cells can also be viewed using microscopy to view the sickled cells. Acute chest syndrome can be diagnosed by chest x-ray. The sickled cells that obstruct blood flow to the lungs manifests as infiltrates on the images. After diagnosis, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels areShow MoreRelatedSickle And The Sickle Cell Disease1369 Words   |  6 PagesThe sickle cell disease affects about 100,000 people in the America. The most common ethnic group the sickle cell anemia is seen in is African Americans and Hispanics. Approximately one in every ten African American and one in every one hundred Hispanic Americans have the sickle cell trait. Approximately two million people have the sickle cell trait in America. 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