Nursing Care Plan Anemia

BY DAISY JANE ANTIPUESTO RN MN JULY 6, 2008

Anemia is the reduction in red blood cells (erythrocytes) thus

decreasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood due to the
following (1) excessive blood loss (2) deficiencies and abnormalities
of RBC production (3) Excessive
destruction of RBC.

Common Symptoms of
Anemia
These symptoms appear in most
types of anemia:

pale skin
dizziness
fatigue
headaches
irritability
low body temperature
numb/cold hands or feet
rapid heartbeat
shortness of breath
weakness
chest pain

Types of Anemia
Different types of anemia have different causes and symptoms.
Iron Deficiency Anemia: Iron deficiency is one of the most
common causes of anemia, especially in women. In the U.S. alone,
twenty million women suffer from iron deficiency anemia. Iron
deficiency causes insufficient hemoglobin production which, in turn,
causes anemia and anemia symptoms.

Sickle Cell Anemia: Sickle cell anemia, or sickle cell disease, is one
of the hereditary causes of anemia. Most often seen in people of
African descent, sickle cell anemia is characterized by the
production of rigid, sickle-shaped red blood cells. These abnormal
sickle cells break down faster then normal red blood cells, resulting
in a chronic shortage of red blood cells and anemia symptoms.
Sickle cell anemia is a form of hemolytic anemia, which describes
types of anemia caused by the rapid destruction of red blood cells.
Pernicious Anemia: Certain types of anemia are referred to as
megaloblastic, or vitamin deficiency anemia. Pernicious anemia is
caused by an inability of the intestines to absorb sufficient amounts
of vitamin B12, which is required in the production of red blood cells.
Pernicious anemia symptoms include vision problems, memory loss,
difficulty walking and numb hands and feet, as well as the more
common anemia symptoms.
Risk factors for pernicious anemia include a family history of
pernicious anemia, Scandinavian or European ancestry or a history
of autoimmune endocrine disorders.
Vitamin B12 injections are the standard pernicious anemia
treatment. Oral vitamin B12 supplements may also be used as
pernicious anemia treatment, but theyre not as efficient as B12
injections.
Folic Acid Deficiency Anemia: Folic acid deficiency anemia, like
pernicious anemia, is a megaloblastic anemia. Folic acid is essential
for healthy blood and a healthy nervous system. A folic acid
deficiency during pregnancy can cause birth defects.
Folic acid supplements form the basis of folic acid anemia
treatment. Anemia treatment also includes eating a diet high in folic
acid, including such foods as:

beans and legumes

citrus fruits and juices

dark green leafy vegetables

pork


poultry

shellfish

wheat bran
Thalassemia: Causes of anemia often include genetic mutations.
Thalassemia is one of the genetically inherited types of anemia.
Thalassemia occurs when the bodys genes, which are responsible
for proper hemoglobin production, become damaged or mutated.
Like sickle cell anemia, thalassemia is one of the hemolytic anemia
types.
Many possible gene variations can cause thalassemia, and the
disease has both mild and severe varieties. Cooleys anemia is the
most common severe thalassemia in the U.S. The disease tends to
be present at birth and its symptoms include:

dark colored urine

deformed facial bones

fatigue

jaundice

poor growth rates

a swollen abdomen caused by an enlarged spleen and liver

weakness
A number of ethnic groups are at higher risk of developing
thalassemia, including people of African, Chinese, Filipino, Indian,
Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern ethnicity.
Treatment for thalassemia depends on the severity of the disease.
Mild types of thalassemia may be treated with regular blood
transfusions. Severe cases require multiple blood transfusions, iron
chelation therapy to remove excess iron from the blood and bone
marrow transplants. Without treatment, severe thalassemia often
proves fatal in early childhood.
Aplastic Anemia: Aplastic anemia is one of the rarer types of
anemia, occurring when the body makes insufficient red and white
blood cells. Causes of aplastic anemia include:

radiation therapy

chemotherapy
toxic chemicals
some medications
bone marrow infections

NURSING CARE PLAN

Nursing Care Plan Dengue Fever

BY BYRON WEBB ROMERO, RN, MSN MAY 26, 2008

Dengue fever can be caused by any one of four types of dengue

virus: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. You can be infected by at
least two, if not all four types at different times during your lifetime,
but only once by the same type.
You can get dengue virus infections
from the bite of an infected Aedes
mosquito. Mosquitoes become
infected when they bite infected
humans, and later transmit infection
to other people they bite. Two main
species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti
and Aedes albopictus, have been responsible for all cases of dengue
transmitted in this country. Dengue is not contagious from person to
person.
Symptoms of typical uncomplicated (classic) dengue usually start
with fever within 5 to 6 days after you have been bitten by an
infected mosquito and include:

High fever, up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit

Severe headache
Retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain
Severe joint and muscle pain
Nausea and vomiting
Rash

The rash may appear over most of your body 3 to 4 days after the
fever begins. You may get a second rash later in the disease.
Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever include all of the symptoms
of classic dengue plus
Marked damage to blood and lymph vessels
Bleeding from the nose, gums, or under the skin, causing
purplish bruises
This form of dengue disease can cause death.

Symptoms of dengue shock syndrome-the most severe form of

dengue disease-include all of the symptoms of classic dengue and
dengue hemorrhagic fever, plus

Fluids leaking outside of blood vessels

Massive bleeding

Shock (very low blood pressure)

This form of the disease usually occurs in children (sometimes
adults) experiencing their second dengue infection. It is sometimes
fatal, especially in children and young adults.