Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Disease

In:

Submitted By jtijani
Words 1816
Pages 8
In this paper, I will be looking at and reviewing the research literature that is available concerning sickle cells disease. I chose this topic for a reason that is close to my heart; I have an eight month old infant who has been diagnosed with sickle cell disease. As a professional, I am concerned with the ways that we as nurses can contribute to providing quality care in response to clients presenting with this specific disease. As a person, I am on the other side of the health promoting, family based care relationship that I am used to in my practice; I now really appreciate how important it is for nurses to provide education, information, teaching and training to parents and clients in response to an illness like sickle cell. In a way, therefore, I am serving both as teacher and student here, as I develop knowledge and collect evidence that I will use as both a nurse and as a concerned parent seeking to understand a disease that my child has been diagnosed with. This literature review supports the argument that nurses can play an important role in promoting quality care for clients and families coping with sickle cell disease, once a strong understanding of this disease and the nurse’s role in responding to it is achieved. This, therefore, is the goal of this literature review. Gale’s “Health Reference Centre Academic” database was used for the research. In fact, a very simple search resulted in the obtainment of all six of the quality, peer reviewed, scholarly research articles that will be presented together in this paper. A key word search was performed, and the search results were limited to full text articles that were also peer reviewed. The first key words were “sickle cell” and the second key word was “nursing”. This resulted in several pages of resources, and all of the six selections were chosen from among the most recent available, and the ones that

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Disease

...Report on Sickle Cell Disease Name: Professor: Course: Date: Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease is a life threatening illness passed down from parents to children through the genes (Piel & Weatherall, 2015). The disease therefore, is present at birth but the signs come to the fore after the fourth month. The disease has been recognized as a major public health concern by international agencies and is common among many people in Africa, the Arabian Gulf, Turkey, India; the Mediterranean and their descendants spread around the world. For instance, in United States one in 400 African-American infants is born with sickle cell disease annually (Ibid). Description of Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease comprises of red blood cell disorders whose main feature is abnormal hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is an oxygen carrying protein in the red blood cells (Peterson, 2008). The abnormality of the hemoglobin is caused by a mutation in a gene of the hemoglobin protein. This abnormality hinders the proper formation globin genes of the hemoglobin molecules resulting in abnormal hemoglobin that may take the forms of “S” hemoglobin or “SC” hemoglobin or “beta-thalassemia” hemoglobin as noted by (Rees, Williams & Gladwin, 2010). Types of Sickle Cell Disease The disorders; sickle cell anemia disease (caused by “S” hemoglobin), “SC” disease (caused...

Words: 1934 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Disease: A Chronic Cruelty

...Ashley McHugh Ms. Greve Biology I Academic (2)-1 11 January 2016 Sickle Cell Disease: A Chronic Cruelty Sickle cell disease is a collection of inherited blood cell disorders in which the hemoglobin in red blood cells mutates into a dangerous crescent shape. This crescent shape is “not flexible and can stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood.” Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disorder in the United States, but it primarily affects African Americans. Victims suffer from lifelong complications wherein the worst of the pain lies in sporadic episodes. Sickle cell disease is an incurable hereditary condition which produces abnormally shaped red blood cells that trigger periods of severe pain;...

Words: 1339 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Effect of Sickle Cell Disease Gene

...of Sickle Cell Disease Gene of Two Parents Traits on a Child Desmond Jefferson PSY104 Holly Johnson April 15, 2013 In trying to expound the reasons why the genes of the two parents influence the traits of an offspring, with in examination of how abnormalities can contribute to genetic and / or chromosomal disorder. I will use sickles cell disease to explain my reasoning. According to Wikipedia, Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive genetic blood disorder with over dominance, characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickle cell disease decreases the cells' flexibility and results in a risk of various complications. In this paper I will discuss how sickle cell disease occurs because of a mutation in the hemoglobin gene. Even though sickle cell gene of two parent’s traits affects a child, what are the chances of having a baby with sickle cell trait? Knowing that individuals with sickle cell trait can pass the sickle hemoglobin gene to their children and, when one parent has sickle cell trait and the other parent has normal hemoglobin the child may inherit. How do you know if you have sickle cell trait? You can easily get a blood test form most hospital, medical centers and doctor offices. When you get the blood test, it determines if you have sickle cell trait. As in women, they can find out if they have sickle cell traits during their pregnancy to find out if the child is going to have the trait or the disease. There...

Words: 932 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Disease Research Paper

...Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that affects more than 90,000 Americans. This condition is due to a genetic defect that mutates the structure of hemoglobin which is the oxygen carrying protein of red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are round like the letter “O” so they can move easily through the blood vessels. Red blood cells with the hemoglobin genetic defect have reduced oxygen carrying capacity. They are sickle-shaped like the letter “C” which reduces their ability to traverse small blood vessels. This can lead to blood clot formation in the capillaries and organ damage. There is no readily available cure for SCD but some children with the disease have been treated successfully with bone marrow transplants. High dose...

Words: 315 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

General

...SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA Name: Institution: Introduction The sickle cell anaemia is a relentless hereditary kind of anemia in which a transmuted form of hemoglobin disfigures the red blood cells into a hemispherical outline at low oxygen levels (Sickle cell anaemia, 2015). The disorderedly affects individuals of the Caribbean, African as well as Asian origin, in the United Kingdom sickle cell disorders is mostly usually experienced in the Caribbean along with African persons. Consequently, this paper is going to talk about sickle cell anaemia along with alternate issues related to it. What causes sickle cell anaemia? Sickle cell anaemia is brought about by an alteration as well as uncharacteristic alteration in the gene that initiates the body to create hemoglobin. The sickle cell DNA is mostly inherited whereby it is conveyed from one generation to another in the family. To acquire sickle cell anaemia one must inherit the flawed DNA from mutually all the parents. Should one get the DNA from only one parent then this condition can be described as a sickle cell condition? There is a high chance that the person’s blood will have some sickle cell, and will also be able to generate the ordinary hemoglobin but not experience the signs of the disease. Conversely, the individual will be perceived as the carrier of sickle cell anaemia...

Words: 3074 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell

...SICKLE CELL AND THE PAIN SICKLE CELL AND THE PAIN B Gibson SOC313 Social Implications of Medical Issues Instructor: Betsey Morthland July 23, 2012 SICKLE CELL AND THE PAIN Living with pain. What is sickle cell disease? Are you a carrier or do you have sickle cell disease? We will look at what is sickle cell disease and how do you know if you are a carrier. How many people have sickle cell disease, what challenges they face personally and socially? Are there programs to help people with sickle cell disease deal with pain management? This is just a peek at sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder of the red blood cells. If you have sickle cell disease you have an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sickle cell disease contains mostly hemoglobin*s. Blood cells become sickle and crescent shape, which causes them to have trouble passing through small round blood vessels. “When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can each that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disease.” (Florida Transition Project) There are several types of sickle cell disease – (SS) Sickle Cell Anemia, (SC) Sickle Hemoglobin C Disease, Sickle Beta-Plus, and Sickle Betz-Zero Thalassemia. Sickle Cell trait (AS) is an inherited condition and this condition is not sickle cell disease. People that have the trait are normally healthy and they are only carriers...

Words: 2076 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Sickel

...Sickle Cell Disease is an illness that affects people all across the globe. This paper will give a description of the sickness through the discussion of the causes, symptoms, and possible cures. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a "group of inherited red blood cell disorders."(1) These disorders can have various afflictions, such as pain, damage and a low blood count--Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. Approximately 80,000 Americans have the disease. In the United States, sickle cell disease is most prevalent among African Americans. About one in 12 African Americans and about one in 100 Hispanic Americans carry the sickle cell trait, which means they are carriers of the disease. Sickle cell disease is caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin-Beta gene found on chromosome 11. Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. Red blood cells with normal hemoglobin (hemoglobin-A) are smooth and round and glide through blood vessels. In people with sickle cell disease, abnormal hemoglobin molecules - hemoglobin S - stick to one another and form long, rod-like structures. These structures cause red blood cells to become stiff, assuming a sickle shape. Their shape causes these red blood cells to pile up, causing blockages and damaging vital organs and tissue. Sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the bodies of people with the disease, causing anemia. This anemia is what gives the disease...

Words: 2074 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Anemia

...Sickle-cell disease From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the disease itself. For the genetic transmission of sickle-cell disease and its carrier state, see sickle cell trait. Not to be confused with Sick cell syndrome. Sickle-cell disease Classification and external resources Figure (A) shows normal red blood cells flowing freely through veins. The inset shows a cross section of a normal red blood cell with normal haemoglobin. Figure B shows abnormal, sickled red blood cells log jamming, sticking and accumulating at the branching point in a vein. The inset image shows a cross-section of a sickle cell with long polymerized HbS strands stretching and distorting the cell shape. ICD-10 D57 ICD-9 282.6 OMIM 603903 DiseasesDB 12069 MedlinePlus 000527 eMedicine med/2126 oph/490ped/2096 emerg/26emerg/406 MeSH C15.378.071.141.150.150 GeneReviews • Sickle-cell disease Sickle-cell disease (SCD), or sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) or drepanocytosis, is a hereditary blood disorder, characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickling decreases the cells' flexibility and results in a risk of various complications. The sickling occurs because of a mutation in the haemoglobin gene. Individuals with one copy of the defunct gene display both normal and abnormal haemoglobin. This is an example of codominance. Life expectancy is shortened. In 1994, in the US, the average life expectancy of persons with...

Words: 4210 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell

...Sickle Cell Disorder Research Paper Sickle cell anemia is a disease passed down through families in which red blood cells form an abnormal sickle or crescent shape. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body and are normally shaped like a disc. Sickle cell disease refers to a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. It is the most common genetic disease in the U.S. An estimated 70,000-80,000 Americans have sickle cell disease. Normal red blood cells are round like doughnuts, and they move through small blood tubes in the body to deliver oxygen. Sickle red blood cells become hard, sticky and shaped like sickles used to cut wheat. When these hard and pointed red cells go through the small blood tube, they clog the flow and break apart. This can cause pain, damage and a low blood count, or anemia. What is sickle cell trait? A person with the sickle cell trait does not have (and will never have) sickle cell disease. However, the presence of the trait may impact his/her children How do you get sickle cell disease? Sickle cell disease is not contagious; you cannot "catch" it. You inherit it from your parents. If, for example, one parent has normal hemoglobin ( type AA) and the second parent has abnormal hemoglobin ( type AS, or the sickle cell "trait"), there is a 50% chance that each child will have the sickle cell trait, but they will not have sickle cell disease ( type SS). The three most common forms of the disease in the United States are: 1. Hemoglobin...

Words: 697 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Accountant

...Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease has been discovered for several hundred years. The first case reported in America was by Dr. James Herrick with a 20-year-old student patient from West Indies (Desai, 2004). The prevalence of this disease in the United State is around 1 in 5,000. Most patients are descendents of Sub-Saharan Africans. Every 1 out of 500 African Americans is born with this disease. Sickle cell is caused by hemoglobin S – an abnormal type of hemoglobin. This hemoglobin is a protein that carrying oxygen inside the red blood cells. However, hemoglobin S is abnormal and can change the shape of the red blood cell to a crescent- or sickle-like shape. Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and can move easily through blood vessels. The normal red blood cells’ function is to transfer oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body (“What Is Sickle Cell Anemia?”). Sickle-shaped red blood cells, on the other hand, are stiff and sticky; they move very slowly and difficultly through the blood vessels. These troubled cells can cause pain, infection and organ damages because they cannot perform the basic functions as do by the normal red blood cells (“What Is Sickle Cell Anemia?”). Sickle cell disease is a recessive genetic disease inherited from parents. However, only both parents with sickle cell genes can produce a child with sickle cell disease. A sickle cell disease patient must inherited two sickle cell genes from each parent. A person has only one sickle cell...

Words: 853 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell

...Sickle Cell Disease Charlie Wilson HHC/220 March 13, 2014 Mark Perry Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell anemia or SCD is a condition that is inherited genetically by abnormal, red blood cells (erythrocytes) that has a form of sickle-shape. According to the Sickle Cell Society (2005), the beginning stage of this disease can begin as early as four months of age but are more common between one and two years of age. Symptoms while in childhood stage to adulthood consist of the following: * Breathlessness * Fatigue * Paleness * Painful aches throughout the body. * Swelling of feet and hands. * If you’re a male with this disease, you can experience painful erections. ( http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2005/Eppolifo/into.htm) Sickle cell can cause strokes in children as young as eight years of age. An individual who inherits this disease usually has a life span up to the middle 40’s. (SCDAA, 2005) PERI Model Utilization Sickle cell is a disease that is lifelong and inherited. This disease affects millions of individuals around the globe. Sickle cell is inherited from other family members that are carrying the sickle cell trait without having the disease itself. Most individuals who genetically inherited sickle cell has both parents with the gene or if one parent has the gene and the other do not, the child is likely to receive the sickle cell trait. The disease is very serious when the red blood cells form into a...

Words: 1578 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Choice

...Choice “E is the best answer. Sickle cell disease (SCD) and its variants are genetic disorders resulting from the presence of a mutated form of hemoglobin, hemoglobin S (HbS). Given that this patient has sickle cell disease, he must have inherited two abnormal copies of the hemoglobin gene, one from each parent. Normally, humans have hemoglobin A, which consists of two alpha and two beta chains, hemoglobin A2, which consists of two alpha and two delta chains, and hemoglobin F, consisting of two alpha and two gamma chains in their bodies. Of these, hemoglobin F dominates until about 6 weeks of age. Afterwards, hemoglobin A dominates throughout life. Sickle-cell conditions have an autosomal-recessive pattern of inheritance from parents. The types...

Words: 1142 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Anemia Paper

...This paper will describe what sickle cell anemia is, how it effects the human body; as well as the oral cavity. Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease caused by abnormal hemoglobin, which causes the red blood cells to have low oxygen levels (National Heart, Lungs and Blood Institute, 2015). Sickle cell anemia is inherited only if both parents have the disorder because it is caused by the genetic abnormality of hemoglobin (webMD, 2015). When there is abnormal hemoglobin it can produce sickle hemoglobin (webMD, 2015). This causes the red blood cells to stick together and create long rod shaped red blood cells when oxygen leaves the cell (webMD, 2015). When this happens it causes the symptoms of sickle cell anemia (webMD, 2015). In people...

Words: 857 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Sickle Cell Anemia

...Sickle cell anemia primarily affects people with African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian ancestry (Learn genetics, 2010; NHLBI, n.d.; Vorvick et al., 2010). Sickle cell anemia occurs when a person inherits two sickle cell gene, one from each parent, that cause the red blood cells to change and become crescent shaped. The underlying problem involves hemoglobin, a component of the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is a protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs (Nabili, 2008, para. 1). In sickle cell anemia, the hemoglobin is flawed. As a result, the cells become sickle shaped and can’t travel as easily through blood vessels. Sickle cell anemia is an illness which has one primary cause, but a variety of symptoms and treatments. Like most illnesses, sickle cell anemia has one primary cause. In order for sickle cell anemia to occur, a sickle cell gene must be inherited from both the mother and the father, so that the child has two sickle cell genes (Shiel, 2006, para. 3). The sickle cell gene causes the body to make abnormal hemoglobin. As mentioned above, hemoglobin is a protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs (Nabili, 2008, para. 1). A person with normal red blood cell will have hemoglobin A, however a person with sickle cell disease will have hemoglobin S (Sickle...

Words: 998 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Blood Disorders

...of disease and poor diet. There are three different blood disorders that stem from theses causes: sickle cell anemia, thrombocytopenia, and iron deficiency anemia. Each of these blood disorders are diagnosed, treated, and have different prevention methods. Sickle cell anemia causes normal round red blood cells to become crescent shaped. Normal red blood cells can easily move throughout the body’s blood vessels and supply the body with the adequate amount of oxygen enriched blood. But crescent or sickle shaped red blood cells often get stuck in the blood vessels blocking the vessels and causing the stop of oxygen from getting to the bodies organs, tissue, muscle, and bones. Sickle cell anemia is caused by an inherited genetic trait by both of the parents of the affected child. If the child only inherits the sickle cell gene from one parent then the child is said to have the trait but not the disease. However, the child that has only the trait is considered a carrier of the disease and can pass the gene to his or her children. Most people are diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when they are born by having a simple blood test that most hospitals require at birth. Antibiotics are the first course of treatment and it is given to children between the ages of two months to five years of age. Parents are also encouraged to have their children’s routine childhood immunizations on time. The hardest part of this disease is the pain that the patient goes through by the sickle cells blocking...

Words: 908 - Pages: 4