SICKLE CELLS ANAEMIAA

Introduction:

The body produces normal red blood cells that are flexible and round and can easily move
through the blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, red blood cells become rigid and sticky and form
like a sickle or crescent moon. These irregularly shaped cells can get stuck in small blood vessels,
which can slow or inhibit the flow of blood and oxygen to parts of the body. Red blood cells live
for 120 days before the body needs to replace it, but sickle cells usually die within 10 to 20 days,
causing a red blood cell deficiency that leads to (anemia), Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary
disease that is transmitted by genes from parents to their children, that is, it is not contagious
and cannot be picked up by a person (like: (cold or infection) to another.

ETIOLOGY:

A defect in the gene responsible for the formation of hemoglobin in the body, which changes the
shape of red blood cells to become inflexible and sticky.

Risk Factors:

Both mother and father are carriers of the disease.

Both mother and father have the disease.

One of the parents is a carrier and the other has the disease.

Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease, which vary from one person to the other and change
over time, include:

Pale skin

Fatigue and exhaustion

Severe pains

Vision problems

painful swelling in feet and hands

chronic pain episodes

⚫ delayed growth

Repetitive bacterial infections.

Diagnosis:

Diagnosis is done after studying the symptoms and pathological history of adults and children
and conducting blood tests to examine hemoglobin. If the patient has the disease, the doctor
may suggest additional tests to check for possible complications.

Treatment:

There is no definitive cure; however, there are medications that can help prevent problems
associated with the disease.

Drugs to relieve the paiN

Folic acid supplements to strengthen healthy blood cells.

Vaccination and antibiotics to prevent infection.

In severe cases the patient may need blood transfusion or surgery.

Complications:

Sickle cell anemia can lead to a range of complications, including:

brain stroke.

Acute chest syndrome that causes chest pain, fever and difficulty breathing

Hypertension in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension).

Organ damage including kidney, liver and spleen.

Blindness.

Leg blisters.

Gallstones.

Sexual dysfunction.

Prevention:
Abidance by a comprehensive pre-marital medical examination helps to reduce intergenerational
transmission of sickle cell disease.

If you are pregnant, you should see a genetic counselor before deciding to have children.

If you have sickle cell anemia, you should:

Drink plenty of fluids and follow a healthy diet.

Avoid exposure to extreme cold or heat.

Avoid high places such as aircraft and others.

Make sure you have enough oxygen during exercising and when you are in the mountains.

SICKLE CELL CRISIS

Individual suffering from sickle cell disease is usually symptoms free for certain periods which are
alternated with exacerbations at interval acute episode occur. This is referred to as sickle cell
crisis.

PRECIPATATING FACTOR

• Dehydration

. Stress

Infection

Exposure to cold

Any situation in which the individual experiences hypoxia

TYPE OF EPISODIC CRISIS

VASO-OCCLUSIVE CRISIS-this is the most common and the only painful ones it happen due to
occlusion in the blood vessels by sickle cells which causes ischemia and necrosis.

APLASTIC CRISIS- this is due to reduced red blood cell production usually precipitated by a viral or
other infection

.TYPES OF LUEKEMIA
The onset of leukemia can be acute or chronic. Leukemia is also classified according to the type of
cell that is affected.

➤ Acute myloid leukemia (AML) is the second most common blood cancer in children and adults
AML affects certain cells in the bone marrow (myeloid cells). These cells ordinarily develop in to
normal, mature blood cells. But in AML these immature cells do not develop properly and
become cancerous. The cells multiply rapidly, build up in the bone marrow and crowding out
normal, healthy cells. They can spill in to the blood stream and travel throughout the body,
disrupting the normal function of the organs.

➤ Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) It mostly in children. It is also known as lymphoblastic or

lymphoid. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that fight infection. They are formed in the center
cavity of certain bones, in a sponge-like tissue called marrow. In this form of leukemia, the bone
marrow makes too many abnormal lymphocytes cancer cells which are called lymphoblast and
this lymphoblast do not fight infection well. They formed crowed out other kind of blood cells
forming in the bone marrow.

➤ Chronic myloid leukemia (CML). Affects mostly adults. In CML, the bone marrow -the soft
spongy center of the bone marrow where blood cells form- produces too many abnormal white
blood cells which begins to grow too fast and crowd out normal healthy cells.

➤ Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Is most likely to affect people over age 55. It's very rarely
seen in childern

Diagnosis:

To diagnose leukemia, doctors use certain diagnostic tests and procedures, such as:

Physical examination: Doctors examine the lymph nodes, spleen and liver to check if there is any
swelling.

• Blood tests: Blood tests • Blood tests: Blood tests determine the number of blood cells and
platelets. They are also used to identify any abnormalities in the blood cells.

• Bone marrow biopsy to check for cancer cells.

• Genetic testing to examine the genetic material in the bone marrow, blood cells and lymph
nodes.

• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): to collect cerebrospinal fluid and detect any cancer cells in
another fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Treatment options for leukemia?

Leukemia treatment methods depend on several basic factors, like age, overall health, Type of
leukemia and whether or not it has spread to other parts of the body.

Common treatments used to fight leukemia include:

Chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy. •

• Stem cell transplant, which replaces the cells that were damaged during radiation Therapy and
chemotherapy.

• Immunotherapy: this type of treatment is given to enhance the body's immunity

SPLENIC SEQUESTRATION CRISIS- this is occur when sickle cells block the blood vessels leading
out of the spleen, blood stays in the spleen instead of flowing through it. This causes the spleen
to get bigger and when this happen the blood count falls and the spleen gets very large and easy
to feel.

HYPERHAEMOLYTIC CRISIS- this occurs due to a very rapid blood destruction. It is characterized
by anaemia jaundice and reticulocytosis MANAGEMENT

Hydration

Oxygenation

Blood transfusion

Routine splenectomy

Antibiotics

LUEKEMIA

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood/bone marrow characterized by an abnormal proliferation of

blood cells, usually white blood cells.

Causes:

Scientists do not yet understand the exact causes of leukemia. It seems to develop from
combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, this type of cancer is not hereditary.

Risk factors:

The following factorsmay increase the risk of developing leukemia:

• Exposure to high energy radiation from an atomic bomb or a nuclear power plant.

Exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene or formaldehyde.

• Blood disorders.

• Exposure to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

• Chromosomal abnormality such as Down syndrome.

Some types of viruses can cause tumors, such as the hepatitis B virus and the HIV virus.

Family history of leukemia, but this is very rare.

Leukemia symptoms can vary from one patient to another, but generally, most patients will
experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Fever

• Night sweats

Frequent infections

• Weight loss

• Headaches

• Joint pain

• Hemorrhage

• Skin bruising

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Extreme fatigue