Sickle cell anemia is among the highly prevalent diseases in the contemporary society. Sickle cell anemia is a disorder of the blood that is caused by the inheritance of the gene that alters the shape of the sickle cell. Therefore, the gene interferes with the working of hemoglobin in the movement of oxygen. The prevalence of the sickle cell anemia varies regarding the geographical position and the ethnic identity. In the United States, the sickle cell anemia is most prevalent among African Americans. The disease also shows a relatively higher prevalence of the disease in the Hispanics followed by the Whites. However, the prevalence also varies from one place to another in the United States (Lervolino et al. 2011).
Sickle cell anemia is a cancerous disease making it difficult to treat. However, various trends are involved in the diagnosis of the disease. The diagnosis of the disease involves a blood test for either a child or an adult. The blood test is used to determine whether an individual’s blood contains the hemoglobin S, which is defective. The test results are positive if the individual emerges to have the hemoglobin S. The doctor, therefore, carries out more tests such as the determination of the blood count of the patient (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). The diagnosis of the disease is consistent for patients of different ages. Undergoing diagnosis at earlier stages of the disease is an effective preventive. This can enhance the success of the bone marrow transplant. It also enables the patient to resort to alternative medical treatments, which prevents further infections in the body. An individual can seek a diagnosis for the disease following common signs and symptoms.
Unfortunately, there are limited treatment options for the sickle cell anemia. The stem cell transplant is the only known treatment for the dangerous disease. However, the stem cell...…a considerable shock to the patient when they find out about the condition. It is essential to ensure that the patients accept the conditions and have the courage to advance to the next steps of treatment. Family helps to provide moral support to the patients. This helps them to stay strong and confident throughout the treatment process. In most cases, the family carters for all the expenses involving the diagnosis, treatment, and care for the patients. Since the disease is contracted since birth, the patients hardly get the chance to work hence depending on family (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2017). It is clear that the disease is inheritable. Therefore, most of the patients are not responsible for the health condition, although there is little they can do to remedy. The support of the family helps to prevent issues such as depression, which is a serious risk for the patients suffering from sickle cell…
Another symptom that is often found is a yellowing of skin and eyes; this is a sign of jaundice due to the breakdown of red blood cells. Another sign is that children may show delayed growth and development. (Genetic Disease Profile: Sickle Cell Anemia) One of the aspects that problematizes this disease are the complications that can arise as a result of the lowering of body defenses and the increased
The science behind the research was not incredibly profound, but again the article was fluidly written and very easy to follow the logic of. Reflection: This is not an aspect of the disease I had thought of before; it is important to remember that there are very human bodies that contain these sickle-shaped cells. The fact that this "treatment" focuses on the symptoms of the disease rather than the cause is
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,
Anatomy and Physiology Sickle cell anemia is defined as being a severe form of the illness anemia, where not enough healthy red blood cells are present to carry the necessary oxygen to the rest of the body (Hwang & Shaparin 2003). Red blood cells in individuals with sickle cell anemia will be rigid and moon-shaped, unlike normal red blood cells that are smooth and round. Because of the shape of the
[Harvard University] it is observed that younger patients are much better than adults in post transplantation recovery and Current statistics project a more successful picture with a reduced mortality rate for bone marrow transplantation at 5%. Also, this is a relatively new procedure with a total of only 200 people with the sickle cell disease having undergone it. [Debby Golonka] Gene Therapy With the advancements in genetic science the search for
Sickle Cell Anemia: Ethical Considerations The only known cure for sickle cell disease is hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Survival rates after HSCT are high, almost 100%, with cure rates of more than 90% (Nickel, Hendrickson & Haight, 2014; Nickel & Kamani, 2017). To receive HSCT most successfully, the donor is ideally a HLA-identical sibling. This raises several ethical concerns. The most pressing of all ethical concerns related to HSCT is
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