According to the details given in case study, Ms. A has iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. It is a condition where the blood lacks enough red blood cells (Clark, 2008). When there are a low number of red blood cells, it makes transportation of oxygen to parts of the body very difficult. Iron deficiency is type of anemia due to the lack of iron in the body. Without the proper amount of iron in the body, it cannot produce enough hemoglobin and since hemoglobin is the main carrier of oxygen, low levels of it can lead to tiredness and shortness of breath (Copstead, Banasik, 2010).
Case Findings There are many causes of anemia in the body. Some factors include genetics and deficiencies in the diet.
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The lab tests done for Ms. A. shows her hemoglobin count is only 8 grams per deciliter. This is very low compared to the normal value. Moreover, the normal hematocrit level is between 36 and 46 percent (Chen, Zieve, 2012). Ms. A’s hematocrit level is only 32% which is again much lower than the normal range. She also has low erythrocyte count and the red blood cells are smaller in size and paler in color because the RBC smear shows microcytic cells and hypochromic cells. All these data findings reveal that the main reason for the iron deficiency anemia is due to the loss of blood and due to the low amounts of red blood cells in the …show more content…
A’s aspirin intake be reduced because it hinders the body from producing red blood cells. Therefore the amount of aspirin that Ms. A takes should be regulated by the doctor. If with the increased amount of vitamin and iron supplements, she still continues to have low levels of iron and hemoglobin, then a blood transfusion may be required to achieve the normal amount of hemoglobin.
Nursing Interventions
The main thing Ms. A needs is education on iron deficiency anemia and how she can help prevent and control it in the future (Mayoclinic, 2013). The nurse should educate Ms. A. on foods that are high in iron. For example foods such as meat, fish and vegetables are all high in iron. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake can help in increasing the amount of iron in the body and it is healthy as well and therefore helps in the overall health and balance of the individual (Chen, Zieve, 2012).
In addition, she should receive further education on what medications she should use and the importance of reducing the intake of aspirin. For example, high coffee intake and consumption of dairy products can conflict with the ability of the body to absorb iron. She should increase the amount of vitamin C in the body because it helps with the absorption of
The risk factors that Jessica presented with are a history that is positive for smoking, bronchitis and living in a large urban area with decreased air quality. The symptoms that suggest a pulmonary disorder include a productive cough with discolored sputum, elevated respiratory rate, use of the accessory respiratory muscles during quite breathing, exertional dyspnea, tachycardia and pedal edema. The discolored sputum is indicative of a respiratory infection. The changes in respiratory rate, use of respiratory muscles and exertional dyspnea indicate a pulmonary disorder since there is an increased amount of work required for normal breathing. Tachycardia may arise due to the lack of oxygenated blood available to the tissue stimulating an increase in heart rate. The pedal edema most probably results from decreased systemic blood flow.
Examination revealed an oxygen saturation of 98% and blood pressure of 145/90. Oropharyngeal inspection revealed significant crowding (Mallampati class 3) with macroglossia. Chest auscultation was clear and two heart sounds were audible with nil else.
Mrs. Jones, An elderly woman, presented severely short of breath. She required two rest periods in order to ambulate across the room, but refused the use of a wheel chair. She was alert and oriented, but was unable to speak in full sentences. Her skin was pale and dry. Her vital signs were as follows: Temperature 97.3°F, pulse 83, respirations 27, blood pressure 142/86, O2 saturation was 84% on room air. Auscultation of the lungs revealed crackles in the lower lobes and expiratory wheezing. Use of accessory muscles was present. She was put on 2 liters of oxygen via nasal canal. With the oxygen, her O2 saturation increased to 90%. With exertion her O2 saturation dropped to the 80's. Mrs. Jones began coughing and she produced large amounts of milky sputum.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the primary assessments concluded on patients who are believed to be suffering from cardiac complications. It involves a series of leads attached to the patient which measure the electrical activity of the heart and can be used to detect abnormalities in the heart function. The ECG is virtually always permanently abnormal after an acute myocardial infarction (Julian, Cowan & Mclenachan, 2005). Julies ECG showed an ST segment elevation which is the earliest indication that a myocardial infarction had in fact taken place. The Resuscitation Council (2006) recommends that clinical staff use a systematic approach when assessing and treating an acutely ill patient. Therefore the ABCDE framework would be used to assess Julie. This stands for airways, breathing, circulation, disability and elimination. On admission to A&E staff introduced themselves to Julie and asked her a series of questions about what had happened to which she responded. As she was able to communicate effectively this indicates that her airways are patent. Julie looked extremely pale and short of breath and frequently complained about a feeling of heaviness which radiated from her chest to her left arm. The nurses sat Julie in an upright in order to assess her breathing. The rate of respiration will vary with age and gender. For a healthy adult, respiratory rate of 12-18 breaths per minute is considered to be normal (Blows, 2001). High rates, and especially increasing rates, are markers of illness and a warning that the patient may suddenly deteriorate. Julie’s respiratory rates were recorded to be 21 breaths per minute and regular which can be described as tachypnoea. Julies chest wall appeared to expand equally and symmetrical on each side with each breath taken. Julies SP02 levels which are an estimation of oxygen
Anaemia, which is a low level of oxygen in the blood due to a lack of red blood cells or lack of haemoglobin heart failure, which means your heart is having problem pumping enough blood around your body, usually because the heart muscle has become too weak or stiff to work properly a problem with your heart rate or rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation.
Hemochromatosis is a disease which makes your body absorb all of the iron in food, instead of regulating iron intake. Hemochromatosis “attacks” the entire body, especially the places where most of the iron normally goes: the bloodstream and liver. Some symptoms of this disease are bone and joint discomfort, liver problems, irregular heartbeat, and an unusual bronzing of the skin. Armand Trousseau first described it in 1865 as Diabetes bronze, due to people with diabetes showing the bronze-skin symptom. It was thought to be quite rare at the time. About “⅓ or ¼ of people of Western European descent have th...
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.
D. standing near her room, breathing sharply. While asked what has just happened, she answered, ‘I feel dizzy and can faint!’ Mrs. D. then explained that she rose up from her chair in the television room and felt lightheaded. I decided to bring her to the room hoping she would feel less dizziness if she could sit. After consultation with my mentor and third year unit nursing student, I decided to perform measurement of her vital signs. Since only electronic sphygmomanometer was available for me that time, I had to use it for my procedure. Gladly, I discovered that I have already used such equipment in my previous nursing practice. Using the standard sized calf, I found that her blood pressure was 135/85, respirations were 16, and her pulse was 96 beats per minute (bpm). However, I decided to recheck the pulse manually, founding that it was irregular (78 bpm). The patient stated that she felt better after rest. Immediately after the incident I made a decision to explore carefully the medical chart of Mrs. D., along with her nursing care plan. That helped me to discover multiple medical diagnoses influencing her
Cardiovascular System: He does not experience any chest pain or palpitation. He does not have dyspnea or leg swelling.
Sickle cell anemia is a genetically inherited and is a lifelong disease. Sickle cell anemia affects the red blood cells because it causes the cells to be crescent shape instead of how a normal cell looks like: an oval disk. This causes the circulation of the blood flow throughout the body to be clogged more often because people with sickle cell tend to have more blood clots. This also exhausts the body a lot more and people with this particular disease are more likely to get winded by a short physical activity. Sickle cell disease is caused by a mutation in the beta-globin gene. The main symptoms of sickle cell are shortness of breath, fatigue, difficulty breathing, deterioration of athletic performance, weakness, headaches, and dizziness. Another set of key features that
This reflection of vital signs will go into discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of each vital sign and the importance of each of them. Vital signs should be assessed many different times such as on admission to a health care facility, before and after something substantial has happened to the patient such as surgery and so forth (ref inter). I learned to assess blood pressure (BP), pulse (P), temperature (T) and respiration (R) and I will reflect and discuss which aspects were more difficult and ways to improve on them. While pulse, respiration and temperature were fairly easy to become skilled at, it was blood pressure which was a bit more difficult to understand.
Treatment option for the disorder includes; blood transfusion, which is done to replace the affected hemoglobin, Excess iron removal from the blood stream by administering folic acid to the patient, bone mirror transplant and sometime a surgery may be required
The causes for anemia include: Iron deficiency, chronic blood loss, vitamin B12 deficiency, side effects from medications, chronic diseases, bone marrow disease. Iron deficiency is when there is not enough iron. Chronic Blood loss is when there is not enough blood in the body due to diseases such as ulcers, colon polyps, colon cancer, bladder tumors, kidney tumors, and even excessive menstrual bleeding. Vitamin deficiency happens when there is not enough Vitamin B12 and folic
The patient has high temperature-sign of fever, a very fast pulse rate (tachycardia), and chest wheezing when listened to using a stethoscope (Harries, Maher, & Graham, 2004, p.
Overall all the different forms of anaemia are caused due to lack of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood. Both of these are important for the transportation of oxygen through the blood around the body. The period during pregnancy is one of the very important time frames for the causes of anaemia as the mother can lack iron in her blood cause an impact on the unborn baby so many babies are born with this deficiency and therefore causes the disorder to been hereditary. The causes are if the rate of iron loss or use is more than the rate of absorption. This is a a matter that occurs very often and is very common in pregnant women this obviously indicates that intake of iron before pregnancy is poor [4]. However iron deficiency is the most neglected nutrient deficiency in the world, particularly among pregnant women and children in developing countries [7]. In a pregnant women when the theres a increase in the red cell mass the haemoglobin is effected. The haemoglobin levels are effected during the beginning of a pregannacy and duing the end of it. During the beginning there is a decrease and towards the end there is a increase. The rason to why there is a increase during the early period is the because of...