Nurs6531 Week 1 Case Study

Anemia is a condition where the number and quality of erythrocytes in the blood decreases. There are several factors that may prompt anemia: blood loss, complications in erythrocyte production, increased erythrocyte destruction, or a combination of these. There are different types of anemia, and they are distinguished by size, shape, or the erythrocyte’s substance.

Iron Deficiency Anemia affects millions of individuals across the world. This disease strikes many more women than men and has harmful effects on all who suffer from this deficiency that causes oxygen-carrying capacity to decrease. The causes can vary amongst different groups, but the aggravating symptoms remain constant. Much of the research on Iron Deficiency Anemia concentrates on not only the treatment of this disease, but also the prevention of it. To attain a better understanding of how to treat this problem, one must clearly know what Iron Deficiency Anemia means, what causes this disease, the effects of it, and finally how to cure it.

Iron deficiency anemia, one of the most common types of anemia, is a blood disorder where

VG is a thirty-one-year-old female who comes in for a routine follow-up. She reports that she has been feeling excessive fatigue over the last month. She also notes that she is having some problems at work, not only because of her fatigue but also because of difficulty concentrating. She also notes that she has gained 10 pounds over the last month, and she is unable to identify the cause of the weight gain. She also notes that her periods are a little heavier and more irregular. She is currently taking daily ferrous sulfate and over-the-counter calcium. According to VG’s medical record, she had a TSH level of 4.2 mIL/L about a year ago. Although, Her previous blood levels were slightly elevated, VG’s previous medical provider did not schedule retesting as, no further follow-up lab was deemed necessary at the time. Repeat blood work today reveals a TSH level of 9.8 mIL/L and a free T4 of 0.72 ng/dL.

On November 3, 2014, client, JL, presented to the emergency department. The mother of the client reported increased “fussiness” and refusal to bear weight on right leg that started over the weekend. Client has history of Sickle Cell Disease which called for a routine complete blood count with differential to be conducted. Results were as follows: WBC-

Anemia is a condition that effects “more than 3 million people in the United States” (Peterson, 2012). Anemia is a decrease in red blood cells (RBCs) or decreased hemoglobin in an individual’s blood. RBCs carry oxygen rich blood throughout an individual’s tissues and organs, allowing the body to function properly. Therefore, an anemic person has a decreased amount of oxygen rich blood flowing through their body. A decreased amount of oxygenated blood is not immediately life threatening but can become very serious. Some potential side effects of anemia are; fatigue, lack of energy, pallor, organ damage, heart failure and death (Peterson, 2012). There are multiple types of anemia with the most common being; iron-deficiency anemia, folic acid-deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and microcytic anemia (PDRhealth, 2015).

Abdominal Ultrasound: She doesn’t have masses, fluid collections, and infection. Also, she doesn’t have pancreatitis and gallbladder disease.

Conferring to the case study 1 of Ms. A, who is suffering from iron deficiency anemia. “People who experience iron deficiency anemia lack adequate iron required to produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin supports red blood cells in carrying oxygen all through the body” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). In this presentation, the writer will provide rationales where Ms. A is presenting signs and symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia.

-Schilling test: a test used to determine pernicious anemia in patients with a vitamin B12 deficiency

Ms. A is 26-year-old female with a history of menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea since she was 14-16 years old. In addition, she has taken aspirin during menstruation and for preventing and alleviating joint pain during golf season. Her signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy, light headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension. Her laboratory values show low Hemoglobin (HB), Hematocrit (HCT) and Erythrocyte (RBC) but normal in Reticulocyte (REIC) count. According to Chen, Zieve, & Ogilvie (2014, p. 1), the normal value of HB is 12.1 to 15.1g/dl, HCT is 36.1% to 44.3%, RBC count is 4.2 to 5.2 x10/mm and RETIC count is 0.5% to 1.5% in female. The low Hemoglobin and Hematocrit can direct that Ms. A has anemia. The RBC smear can determine her classification of anemia. Her RBC smear showed microcytic and hypochromic cells. The evidence can indicate that Ms. A has Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA).

Pernicious anemia is a blood disease which is kind of anemia. " Pernicious is a term that means destructive, injurious or deadly"[1]. In addition, patients died in past from pernicious anemia, but these days the treatment has improved composed to the past . Pernicious anemia appears when red blood cells or hemoglobin are abnormal. If the hemoglobin is less than 13.5/100g in male while is less than 12/100g in female then considered a sign of anemia. This essay will cover the definition, symptoms, and diagnosis of pernicious anemia.

Lack of appetite: Based on the history taken from the patient, she has a lack of appetite, going so far as to consuming just a grilled chicken sandwich and water over the course of an entire day. The lack of appetite came around the same time as her fatigue and may play a role in it. Her

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can become a problem and should be a significant concern for health care providers. Some of the nutrients of concern include: Vitamin B-12, Iron, Omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc. A deficiency in any of these can lead to a variety of health problems. A deficiency in B-12 can cause fatigue and, although less likely, anemia. The risk of anemia is increased greatly in the presence of inflammatory bowl disease. Deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acid, which is also of concern with a vegetarian diet, increases the risk of both colitis and Crohn’s disease. An increased homocysteine level, which is an early sign of heart disease, is also associated with low levels of vitamin B12. Iron deficiency is also problematic for vegetarians, possibly leading to iron deficiency anemia. While it is found in some beans and vegetables, iron is most easily absorbed from red meat sources. Zinc is a mineral required for many processes, including supporting a healthy immune system. Deficiencies will cause patients to be more susceptible to pathogens and

Besides the patient’s diet, a number of other problems can cause a low H/H resulting in pale conjunctiva and mucous membranes. She claims to have lost more blood recently due to changes in her menses, and although this could be the reason she is loosing blood, there are again, numerous other possibilities. I would have to ask the patient numerous questions from here…

Anemia is common among individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection [1]. In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of anemia is high people living with HIV are likely to be malnourished, have low CD4 counts and have high rates of comorbidities such as tuberculosis and malaria [2, 3] The presence of anemia predicts poor clinical outcomes like death, clinical progression to AIDS, morbidity and a poor quality of life during the course of the HIV infection whether the person is on ART or not [4, 5, 6]. Those who recover from the anemia have better clinical outcomes [7].Therefore reducing anemia is a key component of care in people living with HIV.