Hydroxyurea In Children

“In the United States, it's estimated that sickle cell anemia affects 70,000–100,000 people, mainly African Americans” (NHLBI, NIH, Who is at risk for sickle cell anemia). SCD is a disease that is a serious disorder in which the body can make normal blood cells and sickle shape cells. Sickle shape cells can block the blood flow in your vessels and cause pain or organ damage also put you in risk for infections. SCD has no cure available but there are many treatments out there to deal with the complications of it. From over years treatments did get better from way back in the day doctors have learned. Sickle cell disease has lack of attention and funding because it’s only affecting

Sickle Cell Disease is an illness that affects people all across the globe. This paper will give a description of the sickness through the discussion of the causes, symptoms, and possible cures. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a "group of inherited red blood cell disorders."(1) These disorders can have various afflictions, such as pain, damage and a low blood count--Sickle Cell Anemia.

Physical Development – Due to the low levels of red blood cells, this hinders the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to organs, tissues and cells. People with Sickle Cell Anemia will have a lower than average height and weight than those with normal hemoglobin. This lower than average height and weight continues until late adolescence. Many children with sickle cell anemia will also experience puberty at a later stage at around 13-14 years of age for girls and 13½-14½ years of age for boys, rather than the average age of puberty for children who are unaffected by sickle cell anemia

The results from the trial showed 233 of 299had seen a decrease in their attacks, and a “40% reduction in mortality” (Platt 2008). The many beneficial aspects of Hydroxyurea make it a feasible candidate for sickle cell treatment but neglecting further research and development of the drug occurs too often. Hydroxyurea requires sickle cell patients to partake in a large amount of doctor visits to monitor the progress of treatment. This incorporate hassle could pose as a problem for sickle cell patients of lower socioeconomic status. Further, taking into consideration that the majority of individuals affected by sickle cell are minorities, and therefore most would find it difficult to maintain the cost of Hydroxyurea without proper insurance. Further research for Hydroxyurea stems for the exclusion of children in the studies conducted on reducing morbidity and sickle cell crisis, leaving a majority of younger individuals defenseless against painful episodes. Once Hydroxyurea receives further research to become inclusive of all age groups, the conduciveness of funding further research for other drugs becomes imperative in finding alternatives to patients suffering from sickle cell anemia. The use of drugs to combat sickle cell anemia and alleviate the pain experienced from the disease requires the assistance of a well-trained and aware medical staff that understands a patient’s needs during a hospital

The red fluid that circulates in our veins and arteries is none other than blood! Is blood important? But of course it is! Blood’s main function is to act as the body’s transport system and also plays a major role in the body’s defense system against infections (America’s Blood Centers, 2012). Among many things, blood contains red blood cells, the component that carries oxygen to cells, and carbon dioxide away. (ABC, 2012). However, blood disorders pose a threat to the health of the body, sometimes requiring the host to have blood transfusions in order to survive (National Institute of Health, 2012). A particular blood disorder of interest is sickle cell anemia, a condition that affects 300,000 people born every year!

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited disorder that produces sickle or crescent shape red blood cells. Thus, the mutated erythrocytes result in an inadequate supply of oxygen being transported throughout the body. Research shows that among those affected the most with the sickle cell gene are African Americans. In recent years, we have seen a decrease in mortality and morbidity rates as a result of new approaches to treating the disease. The more we understand the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia, the more we learn about developing therapies for genetic disorders such as SCA. In this paper, we will briefly discuss what sickle cell anemia is and possible treatments for people with sickle cell anemia such as gene therapy and new drugs.

This paper will discuss Sickle Cell Anemia. It will describe what the disease is as well as how its contracted. The paper will go on to on to discuss the symtoms risk and statistics of sickle cell aniema. The paper will end with discussing treatment for the disease.

Sickle cell anemia is one of the disease out there in the world that cannot be cured. The only thing people suffering from sickle cell can do is get treatments for the symptoms they are suffering from. Not only are there treatments, but there are also things that can be done that can prevent some of the symptoms. Some of the treatments available are different kinds of medications, vaccines, and experimental treatments. When a child suffers from sickle anemia their life could be put on line when catching an infection that may not be life threating to some who may not have that disease, so it is important for children to take antibiotics. From the antibiotics a person can take painkillers to relieve the suffer pain. A drug that is

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorders which leads to an abnormal hemoglobin or red blood cell shape. Hemoglobin is the protein found in red blood cells which transports oxygen throughout the body. Sickle cell disease is inherited by being passed on through genes from parents to their offspring. It is not a contagious as one cannot contract it through an infection or being with someone else. Individuals with Sickle cell disease inherit two abnormal hemoglobin genes from each parent respectively. The alteration in the composure of hemoglobin of someone with sickle cell leads to the change in red blood cell shape from a normal circle to a sickle shape. This leads to blood clotting, dehydration, anemia, and low oxygen in tissues. Furthermore, some other negative side effects of Sickle cell anemia are weakened bones and an overworked heart. Although Sickle cell has no present-day cure, there are experimental trials being conducted through bone marrow transplant and has proven effective. The primary goal of this transplant study is to reduce and ultimately eliminate the frequency of the Sickle cell episodes, crisis maintain normal hemoglobin levels. There are ways to prevent episodic sickle cell crisis such as staying adequately hydrated, limiting physical activities, blood transfusions and taking

Hydroxyurea is a treatment therapy that is currently used to treat sickle cell disease. There are a total of 23 single nuclear polymorphisms (SNPs) that are involved with sickle cell disease. When hydroxyurea is given at an optimal maximum dose, it will act on the BCL11A gene and increase the fetal hemoglobin concentrations. There are a total of 5 SNPs that are associated with the BCL11A gene. Some parameters that were observed are differences in pharmacodynamic effects (PD), percent fetal hemoglobin (%HbF) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Hydroxyurea positively affected all of these parameters. It also helped tolerate the symptomatic effects of sickle cell disease. Patient reported outcomes allow practitioners to optimize dosage of hydroxyurea in conjunction with other medications. Thus far, hydroxyurea treatment has been effective in treating sickle cell disease.

There are many therapies are offered to sickle cell’s patients in order to control the symptoms and to treat painful events such as penicillin,

Social: Hydroxyurea can cause: excessive tiredness or weakness; fast heartbeat; shortness of breath; on-going pain that begins in the stomach area and swelling. The symptoms associated with hydroxyurea can affect many sufferers in a negative way and lead to a poorer quality of life. The symptoms can lead to depression and emotional distress. In some cases, the symptoms may require hospitalization. As people with sickle cell anaemia are more susceptible to infections, for this reason they may be required to avoid crowded places and some social situations. Anxiety and depression can lead to feelings of helplessness, sadness and loneliness, which can keep patients isolated. Sufferers will then find it hard to just do normal necessary activities such as shopping and communicating with families and friends, especially when “41% of sufferers ages 18 to 30 who are hospitalized in acute care end up re-hospitalized within 30 days” [17]. In addition, sufferers will persistently have to visit the GP regularly so they can monitor their health and this can be very time consuming.

Sickle Cell Anemia is a hereditary disease that changes the smallest and most important components of the body. A gene causes the bone marrow in the body to make sickled shapes, when this happens; it causes the red blood cell to die faster. This is what causes Hemolytic Anemia. Older children and adults with sickle cell disease may experience a few complications, or have a pattern of ongoing problems that shorten their lives. The most common and serious complications of sickle cell disease are anemia, pain, fatigue, and organ failure. Today there are many alternatives and opportunities that a sickle cell patient may consider. One outlined in this paper is the Hydroxyurea method.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA), also known as HbSS disease, is a common life-threatening inherited blood disorder in the world. It is widespread in Africa, Italy, Greece, Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia. Sickle cell disease was reported In Saudi Arabia for the first time in the 1960s. Although the rate of patients who suffer from sickle cell disease in Saudi Arabia is not clear, it varies according to the different provinces. The highest rate of patients is in the Eastern and southwestern provinces. This triggered the scientists to improve the Sickle cell anemia’s health care, determine the disease characteristics and amplifications, manage and control the symptoms, and limit the number of patients.

Those are the therapeutic ways doctors have helped sickle cell patients today, in the past there were different therapeutic approaches. Sickle cell disease wasn 't yet "discovered" until the early 1900 's. This disease has been well known in Africa "for at least five thousand years" and "known by many names in many tribal languages." (WILLIAM P WINTER) There were many people wondering what this disease what this disease actually was and why it was happening primarily in those of African Origin. Not until the 1950 's did a chemist, Dr. Linus Pauling and Dr. Harvey Itano, discover "that the red,