Pneumococcal infections was the principal cause of death in children with sickle cell anemia until physicians began routinely giving penicillin on a preventive basis to those who are diagnosed at birth or in early infancy (Bownas, 2000). Damaged walls in erythrocytes due to sickling can cause them to stick to blood vessel walls, resulting in narrowed or blocked small blood vessels in the brain which can lead to serious, life-threatening strokes; (Bownas 2000, Bindon,
Paul Henderson Biology 202 Austen Barnett 18 October 2011 Sickle Cell Anemia Sickle cell anemia is a disease that affects the body’s red blood cells. Sickle Cell Anemia has many symptoms. These symptoms include anemia, (lack of oxygen supply in blood) which makes the affected individual feel weak, cold, dizzy and irritable, it also gives the skin a paler color and may even make the skin appear as a yellowish color. The disease causes many respiratory problems as well, because of poor blood flow in the lungs. Pain is a very common symptom of sickle cell anemia; this pain can be acute or chronic, while acute pain (lasting hours or a few weeks at most) is most common, chronic pain can last multiple weeks or even months.
Signs include chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, and fever. Aplastic crisis: This is when the bone marrow temporarily slows its production of RBCs due to infection or another cause, resulting in a serious drop in RBCs and severe anemia. Signs include paleness, fatigue, and rapid
Eighty percent of C-diff cases are found in healthcare settings (CDC, 2010). C-Diff can be very difficult to treat due to the fact that it has proven to be MDR (Multi-Drug Resistant) and in some cases the bacteria can cause death. Patients affected by C-diff may exhibit watery diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal pain and tenderness. However, patients may also present with symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis, toxic mega colon, perforation of the colon, and sepsis (CDC, 2010). Contact precautions are necessary when treating a patient this includes wearing a gown and gloves.
Patients who are very ill usually require intravenous (IV) antibiotics and admission to a hospital; they usually have a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) that may be spreading to the bloodstream. Other people may have a milder infection (cystitis) and may get well quickly with oral antibiotics. E. coli Enteritis E. coli enteritis is an inflammation of the small intestine, caused by infection with certain strains of E. coli bacteria. The diarrheal diseases caused by E. coli range from mild to life-threatening, depending on the specific type of E. coli bacteria involved. It is the most common cause of
How common is polycystic kidney disease? Polycystic kidney disease is one of the most common disorders caused by mutations in a single gene. It affects about 500,000 people in the United States. The autosomal dominant form of the disease is much more common than the autosomal recessive form. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease affects 1 in 500-1,000 people, while the autosomal recessive type occurs in an estimated 1 in 20,000-40,000 people.
When MRSA infects skin, a swollen, red area develops, and it is usually painful. MRSA skin infections may develop pus or weep other fluids. If left untreated, a MRSA skin infection can go progressively deeper into the body, infecting blood and organs. Symptoms of MRSA infection can include chills, cough, chest pain, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, rashes, shortness of breath and a general feeling of malaise. The worst and final symptom of progressed MRSA infection is death Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/mrsa-antibiotic-resistant-bug-that-has-health-officials-worried/#ixzz2UnSQcGzS When MRSA infects skin, a swollen, red area develops, and it is usually painful.
are affected by sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia mainly affects African Americans because sickle cell anemia affects one in every 500 African American births in the U.S. Sickle cell anemia is prevalent in many different races throughout the world, but in the U.S. African Americans is more prone to getting sickle cell anemia than any other race. African Americans are more vulnerable to sickle cell anemia because a big percentage of the population carries sickle cell trait in their ancestry line. However, Hispanics are also affected at a rate of one out of every 36,000 births (NHLBI, n.d.). Even though African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to have sickle cell anemia, this does not mean that other ethnicity should not worry about sickle cell anemia.
Nosocomial infections were prevalent in the NICU causing morbidity and mortality among the infants. The infants were critically ill, low birth weight, premature or on mechanical ventilation, making them more susceptible to infections. The study attempted to justify that if the nurses adhered to a particular education program that focused on applying the standard precautions in hand washing, tracheobronchial suctioning and nasogastric tube feeding, it would reduce the prevalence of nosocomial blood and respiratory tract infections. Thirty full time nurses were evaluated for a one month period pre-intervention to establish a baseline for each procedure. Then, for three months, the nurses were evaluated by an independent team member using abbreviated critical competency checklist created specifically for the study.
Anemia is a blood condition where you have a low red blood cell count. Symptoms of Anemia are shortness of breathe, Fatigue, pail skin and nail beds, and also jaundice. The pain is called Sickle Cell Crises. Sickle Cell Crises is where the sickle red blood cells become “C” shaped and get stuck to other “C” shaped cell and cause a block in the blood flow in the capillaries to limbs and organs. The Sickle Cell Crises can cause acute or chronic pain.