In: Nursing
What is the pathophysiology and etiology for sickle cell anemia?
Ans) Sickle Cell Anemia:
- Hemolytic anemia that results from inheritance of the sickle hemoglobin gene (HbS).
Pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia:
- There are two types of hemoglobin genes, people with SCD have HB s and HB c
- Hemoglobin S is the hemoglobin that sickles when it is dehydrated and deoxygenated.
- These blood cells get really hard and stiff and clump together, occluding vessels (micro infarctions).
- This occlusion causes engorgement and ischemia which causes pain.
- Local tissue hypoxia leads to further sickleling of the blood cells and causes a large infarction.
- Infarctions cause scarring of tissue and impaired function.
Etiology of sickle cell anemia:
1 in 12 african Americans have sickle cell disease and 1 in 16 hispanic Americans have the disease. SCD is genetic . It is an autosomal recessive disorder. If both parents have are carriers of the disease they have a 25% chance of passing on the disease to their newborn.