Running head: BLOOD DISORDERS

Blood Disorders Sha'Tera Harris HCA 240 July 3,2011 Tamara Purnell

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Blood Disorders Blood disorders come in many different forms. Some blood disorders are genetic while other forms of disorders come from poor health choices. Blood disorders can range from minor to extreme. The treatment of a blood disorder depends on how serious the disorder is. Treatment can be as simple as diet change. There are some people who have to take medications or go through blood transfusions for their whole lives. No matter what the case it is important for a person with a blood disorder to learn the best ways to take care of themselves. With this essay we will look into three different sets of symptoms and discuss what type of disorders they may have and proper treatment methods for each. First we will discuss Amy, a 4 year old Caucasian female who has been complaining of being tired all the time. Amy is pale and a very picky eater. She has a single mom with a small budget to feed a large family. Amy only eats pasta, bread and hot dogs and only drinks artificial fruit punch. After viewing Amys symptoms and eating habits I believe that Amy has Iron Deficiency Anemia. This condition where the red blood cells are reduced (Mulvihill, 2006).Having the proper amount of red blood cells is important because they carry the oxygen all over the body. Iron deficiency is the most common form of anemia. The symptoms of Iron Deficiency are fatigue, paleness, increased heart rare, and cravings for insula things such as ice. There are simple blood tests that will help the doctor determine if Amy suffers from Iron deficiency. If Amy does have Iron deficiency there are a few things that Amy and her mother can do to treat this deficiency. They could start by changing Amys diet, giving Amy an iron tablet is also an option. If this becomes a severe issue the doctors may also suggest a blood transfusion to help replace your iron.

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Next is Marcus. Marcus is a 5-year-old African-American male who has just moved to New York City, and is visiting his new pediatrician for a kindergarten physical. His mom tells the nurse that she carries the trait and wants Marcus screened for it. The trait that Marcuss mother would like for him to be screened for is Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell Anemia is commonly found in African Americans as they are more likely to suffer from this disorder. Red blood cells are normally round and flexible, causing them to travel easily throughout the body. However, in a person who has Sickle Cell Anemia, the red blood cells are shaped in a sickle form causing pain when they travel through the body. The cells being shaped this way also makes it very easy for them to break apart causing the cells to live for up to 20 day, whereas the average cell lives up to 120 days (WebMD, 2011) The broken cells stick to the wall of the vessels causing a blocking of blood which causes extreme pain. Like iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia can be seen by looking at the blood under a microscope. It is diagnosed by a blood test called hemoglobin electrophoresis (WebMD,2011). Treatment of sickle cell anemia includes opioid pain medications, anti-inflammatory medications, and antibiotics for any infections (WebMD, 2011). Oxygen and oral fluids can be given as well. Finally, we have Richard, who has noted over the past several weeks that he has bruising all over his body. He also noticed that after coughing this morning he had tiny red marks all around his eyes. It seems as if Richard suffers from thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is a blood disorder where a person has an unusually smallnumber of platelets in the body. Platelets are what help the blood to clot when you cut yourself. Thrombocytopenia can be caused by a few different medical conditions. Leukemia or an immune system disorder can be the underlying cause. Certain medications can also cause a low platelet count. A few symptoms of thrombocytopenia are bleeding from gums or nose, petechial, which is red spots on the skin the

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size of a pinhead, and bruising on the skin (WebMD, 2011). It can be diagnosed by having a complete blood count done. The treatments range depending on how serious the causes are. f your thrombocytopenia is caused by a medication you are taking, simply stopping that medication will help you. Vitamin B12 or foliate can be taken to help bring your levels back up (WebMD,2011). More serious cases can involve surgically removing the spleen or you can also have a platelet transfusion if the platelet levels are very low.

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Reference Mulvihill, M. L., Zelman, M., Holdaway, P., Tompary, E., & Raymond, J. (2006). Human diseases: A systemic approach (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Web.MD. (2011). Pain Management: Sickle Cell Disease. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-sickle-cell-disease?page=2 WebMD. (2011). Thrombocytopenia. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-zguides/thrombocytopenia-symptoms-causes-treatments