Sickle Cell Anaemia PowerPoint Presentation

Objectives

At the end of this presentation, student should be able to know;

• What sickle cell anaemia is.
• Risk factors and causes of sickle cell anaemia
• The pathophysiology of sickle cell anaemia
• Signs and symptoms of sickle cell anaemia
• The diagnostic measures of sickle cell anaemia
• Nursing and medical management of sickle cell anaemia
• Complications of sickle cell anaemia

Introduction

• This is defined as a recessive hereditary blood disease characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. It is a group of RBCs disorder that is characterized by defect of the haemoglobin.
• Haemoglobin is a protein in RBC that carries oxygen throughout the body. With SCD, the haemoglobin forms into stiff rods within the RBC which change the shape of the RBC.
• The RBCs are supposed to be a disc-shaped, but this changes them into a crescent/sickle shape which are not flexible and cannot change easily.
• Sickle cells usually last about 10-12 days instead of the normal 90-120 days.
• The body may have trouble making enough new cells to replace the ones lost, because of this RBC will not be enough and this can lead to a condition called anaemia.
• These rigid RBC can adhere to the endothelium of small vessels when they pile against each other, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood and as a result oxygen cannot reach nearby tissues.
• If ischaemia or infarction results, the patient may have pain, swelling, and fever