How to Manage Sickle Cell Anemia Patients

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which some of the normally disc-shaped red blood cells are shaped like crescent moons. These abnormally shaped cells sometimes become stuck on the blood vessel walls or break apart. Both situations can cause pain because of blocked blood vessels. The presence of the pain is referred to as a sickle cell crisis. Treatment of sickle cell anemia is aimed at relieving symptoms, avoiding a sickle cell crisis, and preventing complications.

Things You'll Need

• Pictures
• Diagrams
• Medical models of cells and blood vessels
• Folic acid supplement
• Medications
• Flu vaccine
• Pneumonia vaccine

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Instructions

• 1

  Educate the patient about the way his disease affects his body. Use props such as pictures, diagrams and medical models of cells and blood vessels as appropriate.

• 2

  Teach the patient to recognize and report signs and symptoms of sickle cell crisis, which can include pain in the chest, abdomen, joints and bones. This pain can be mild to severe and can last from hours to weeks. A sickle cell crisis can also cause swollen hands and feet.

• 3

  Instruct the patient to eat a balanced, nutritious meal and to take a folic acid supplement daily. Folic acid is needed to make new red blood cells.

• 4

  Teach the patient to recognize and avoid situations that could trigger a sickle cell crisis. Triggers can include smoking, stress, alcohol and high altitudes.

• 5

  Instruct the patient to take medications, such as hydroxyurea, as directed to decrease the incidence of a sickle cell crisis. Tell her that hydroxyurea does not work on every person, and to contact her physician if she experiences more episodes of sickle cell crisis than usual.

• 6

  Encourage the patient to maintain adequate hydration. Dehydration can cause sickle cells to form. According to the National Institutes of Health, a person should drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.

• 7

  Teach the patient to monitor himself for dehydration. According to the National Institutes of Health, signs and symptoms of dehydration can include dry mouth, low urine output, dark urine, sunken eyes, low blood pressure and a fast pulse.

• 8

  Monitor red blood cell counts at regular intervals as prescribed by the patient's physician.

• 9

  Prepare the patient for the possibility of blood transfusions that relieve anemia by increasing the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream. Blood transfusions are also used to decrease the risk of a stroke.

• 10

  Teach the patient about a bone marrow transplant. A transplant could cure sickle cell anemia, but it is hard to find a suitable donor. According to the Mayo Clinic, this procedure is generally performed for patients who have significant problems associated with sickle cell anemia.

• 11

  Instruct the patient to prevent infections by getting regular flu and pneumonia vaccinations, because people with sickle cell anemia are more susceptible to infection.