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If there is evidence of the sickle cell gene the tests will be repeated to confirm diagnosis (NIH). It is also possible to test the fetus for sickle cell anemia prior to birth through amniocentesis although this is not normally performed unless there is reason to believe the child will have sickle cell anemia due to the risk which this procedure presents to the fetus. Electrophoresis is performed on the blood to test for presence of the sickle cell gene as there are different patterns observed in those with sickle cell anemia than normal blood, as the hemoglobin present is Hb S. rather than the Hb a or Hb A2 which is usually present in normal adult erythrocytes or Hb F. which is usually present in fetal hemoglobin. When the blood sample of a sickle cell sufferer is examined under the microscope, the sickle shaped cells present an immediate diagnosis (SCIC).
THERAPY
The main problems which will put the patient at risk in sickle cell disease are the sickle cell crises. These are an issue not only to the severe pain which they cause but also due to the damage which the blockage of blood vessels can cause when they occur in or around an organ. Pulmonary complications are a particular problem for sufferers of sickle cell disease, which are caused in this manner. Bacterial infections are also a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sickle cell sufferers...
Splenic sequestration is one of the most serious complications of sickle cell disease, in which the spleen swells and causes a significant drop in hemoglobin levels.
There is no generally accepted cure for sickle cell disease, although in a very small number of patients a bone marrow transplant may rid them of the disease. Therapy focuses on relieving the symptoms associated with the condition. This would include analgesia for pain such as NSAIDs and iron replacement for the effects of the anemia, and in severe cases of the condition blood transfusions may be necessary (NIH). Folate supplements are also given to meet the increased needs for blood cell production. Many sufferers are also advised to undertake occupational therapy and physical therapy to help with pain management. Hydroxyurea is the first drug which has been shown to significantly prevent sickle cell crises, and is therefore indicated daily in treatment (SCIC).
References
Sickle Cell Anemia. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health. 2 November 2007. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_Treatments.html.
Sickle Cell Information: Clinician Summary. 1997. Sickle Cell Information Centre. 2 November 2007. http://www.scinfo.org/prod05.htm.
For example, in the case of sickle beta thalassemia, the individual has inherited a gene for hemoglobin S. from one parent and a gene for beta-thalassemia from the other. Or, in the instance of SC disease, the individual has inherited a gene for hemoglobin S. from one parent and a gene for hemoglobin C. from the other. The sickle cell trait in heterozygous carriers confers the resistance to malaria phenotype
These crises are a direct result of way in which the deformed red blood cells adhere to both each other and the insides of the blood vessel walls, blocking tissues from receiving oxygen. The disease is prevalent across some parts of Africa, the Middle East and India, which is due to the way in which the heterozygous form of the condition offers carriers a degree of protection against malaria,
Sickle Cell Anemia There are both advantages and disadvantages of having sickle cell anemia. How much benefit a person gets from sickle cell anemia's advantages, however, largely depends on where that person is located and what his or her environment is. The same concept applies to the disadvantages of this condition, although to a lesser extent. The root of the advantages and disadvantages of this disease pertain to its specific form
Sickle Cell (Rough Draft) Sickle cell anemia is a blood disease that causes badly formed red blood cells. The disease is genetec. Mostly people from Africa or other coutries around the Mediterraean Sea get it. In the United States, African-Americans are most likely to have it (Howard, 1995). Red blood cells are the blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. When a person has sickle-cell anemia the hemoglobon in the cell
Sickle cell anemia according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health - NLM/NIH (2013), "is a disease in which your body produces abnormally shaped red blood cells." As the NLM/NIH further point out, the cells produced in this case ordinarily have a crescent-like shape. The red blood cells of an individual usually have a disk-like shape. It is this disk like shape that enhances and eases their
Sickle Cell Anemia As an inherited condition, it is presence of hemoglobin which tends to be abnormal that brings about sickle cell anemia. In basic terms, hemoglobin is a red blood cell protein whose main function is carrying oxygen. It is this hemoglobin abnormality that informs 'sickled' or distorted red blood cells whose survival is compromised as a result of the distortion and fragility. Though the prevalence of the condition largely