Reference no: EM133838629

Problem

Read the case study below and respond to the questions. A 24-year-old African American woman and her husband from India have a 4-year-old son with sickle cell disease (SCD). The disease was diagnosed when the child was 6 months old and symptoms began to appear. Both parents have the sickle cell gene. Today, the boy arrived in the emergency department with chest pain that started after riding his tricycle. Along with chest pain, the parents share that he is dyspneic and has a cough and a fever of 101 degrees F. The boy's other vital signs are pulse 195 and respirations 26. His physical assessment reveals splenomegaly, icterus, mild pallor, and joint pains. The chest x-ray shows bilateral infiltrates. He had pneumonia at age 1 and has had three transfusions thus far. The lab work reveals leukocytosis, neutrophilia, microcytic hypochromic and sickled red cells, a Hgb of 7.7 g/dL, Hct of 30%, RBCs of 2.44 X 10/L, MCV 97.1 fl, MCH 31.4 pg, MCHC 32.3 g/dL, and RDW of 26.6%. The provider orders antibiotics and analgesics to treat the pain and pneumonia. Get the instant assignment help. The family has just moved into the area and recently started seeing a hematologist. In the follow-up visit after discharge from the hospital, recommendations are made for handling sickle cell crisis, which the child is experiencing intermittently. Although there is no cure for sickle cell anemia, the physician's nurse is able to offer help to the family.