Introduction
Sickle cell disease is a problem that can be encountered by newly-born individuals. This disease has been explored by scholars and has been reported to shorten life expectancy. The current report is aimed at producing an approximate plan of action for a definite patient who has been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth.
General Overview of the Disease: Symptoms and Occurrence
Sickle cell anemia is a disease diagnosed in patients of different age groups. According to Platt et al (1994), sickle cell disease or sickle cell anemia is an autosomal blood disorder that occurs on a genetic level and can recess during the life period of a patient. This disease is characterized by red corpuscles that acquire a sickle shape. This transformation reduces the cells’ flexibility and can cause numerous complications in case the problem is not approached adequately. Sickling is the result of a genetic mutation in blood cells. Life expectancy is shortened because of genetic transformations; besides, an average life expectancy equals 42 and 48 years in males and females respectively (Platt et al, 1994).
Stress experienced by most individuals with a sickle-cell-anemia diagnosis in the teenage is a frequent phenomenon that should be approached properly. These individuals face specific problems related to sickle cell anemia such as their body-image conflict. In this respect, psychological assistance should be provided to those patients as well as appropriately coordinated therapy. Sickle cell anemia is a recessive disease though it is also characterized by relapses that can cause some complications and damage the body of a patient. Counseling sessions as well as some support and encouragement received from family and friends can help individuals to cope with their psychological stress and uncertainty.
Treatment and Prevention
There are different approaches a young person can treat and/or prevent having a sickle cell crisis. The patient is advised to avoid certain types of medications such as decongestants because of the simple fact that they vasoconstrict blood vessels. When blood vessels vasoconstrict, some hemoglobin is altered to blood giving rise to the possibility the hemoglobin will sickle. As the scholars from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) report (2010), patients should avoid extreme heat or cold and also work to reduce overall stress levels. Patients also need to consider the possible early warning signs of a stroke.
These include numbness, one-sided weakness, and slurred speech patterns. The blood of a patient is transformed in the shortest time periods; so, it is necessary to provide a patient with a supplementary amount of folic acid to produce red corpuscles as suggested by the New York Times experts (2010). Patients will usually have a higher life expectancy by managing their health status.
Exams and Treatments
There are various types of treatment modalities that can aid the sickle cell patient in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As suggested by the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (2009), life-threatening complications and specific episodes that occur in the process of treating a patient with sickle cell anemia can be approached with blood transfusions. Blood transfusions can also be helpful for children with sickle cell anemia in terms of improvements reached in height and weight indices (American Association of Clinical Chemistry, 2009). Approximately 8 g/dL is the hemoglobin level normal for patients with sickle cell disease. The hemoglobin level should not increase higher than 10 g/dL after transfusion which means that this level should be preserved. Routine lab work is also required and is basically part of the patient’s life.
Hospitals have now started performing sickle cell screenings on all newborn babies. This has become the routine and, with evidence supporting DNA testing, makes it easier to detect and treat sickle cell disease in a timely manner. According to the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (2009), hemoglobin electrophoresis has been used as a traditional method to define the presence of different variants of hemoglobin. Screening of hemoglobin variants is performed via HPLC and Hb S. Identifying the variants of hemoglobin that have the same electric potential is a common method for contemporary scholars (American Association of Clinical Chemistry, 2009).
Conclusion
A sickle cell disease is a diagnosis that decreases a life expectancy of a patient. However, this problem has been faced by contemporary health care specialists at the stage of a fetus which suggests new methods for preventing, diagnosing, and treating properly this disease. The most adequate approach lies through attending group therapy and maintaining consistent laboratory work, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding certain factors that can trigger the onset of a sickle cell crisis. Understanding the disease and keeping to all prescriptions is essential for increasing life expectancy and preventing complications.
References
American Association of Clinical Chemistry. (2009). Sickle Cell Tests. Lab Tests Online. Web.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. (2010). Living with sickle cell anemia. Diseases and Conditions Index. Web.
New York Times. (2010). Sickle cell. Health Guide. Web.
Platt, O. S., Brambilla, D. J., Rosse, W. F., Milner, P. F., Castro, O., Steinberg, M. H., & Klu, P. P. (1994). Mortality in sickle cell disease. Life expectancy and risk factors for early death. New. England. Journal of. Medicine, 330(23), 1639–1644.