Essay Example on Improving Healthcare Outcomes for Sickle Cell Disease Sufferers

Introduction

In the United States, a hereditary disorder, Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) impacts about 90000 to 100000 people (Perry et al., 2017). In most instances, SCD is more prevalent among individuals of Latino, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean, and African descent. Among children with SCD and their relationship with health care providers are deemed to alter results like disease self-management and satisfaction with care. SCD children release sickle cells rather than healthy red blood cells (Lobitz et al., 2019). Ideally, sickle cells have unique features, such as having a c-shaped sickle that is stiff and aligns in the cardiovascular system. Because SCD children need protection, professional perspective, and caregivers' perspective are the leading factors.

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Professional responses depend primarily on preventive health in which most practitioners focus on areas such as analgesia, taking folic acid supplements, safety with physical activities, nutrition, hydration, and temperature (Lobitz et al., 2019). Health care professional recommends that folic acid and penicillin to children patients curb complications that arise in the form of bacteria diseases. The two drugs are useful in providing quality life and survival. Based on particular SCD problems, most of the healthcare professionals recommend strategies for pain management such as topical medicines, applying heat, and oral fluid intake. Health care professionals recognize the use of self-diagnosis and self-monitoring using objective approach measurements and approaches like self-assessment tools, splenic palpation, and thermometer.

From a professional perspective, SCD children need to be vaccinated against pneumococcal infection. The cerebral vessels' transcranial Doppler imaging can be applied to identify children who are risked of getting a stroke (Perry et al., 2017). SCD children carriers are given malaria infection' protection. However, children with SCD depicted an improved sensitivity to malaria infection, which implies that they should be diagnosed with proper anti-malaria prophylaxis.

Professionals apply blood transfusion as a vital tool in SCD children's treatment. In essence, blood transfusion increases blood capacity to transport oxygen, and when repeated, it lowers erythropoiesis in children with patients. For that reason, sickle proportions are reduced and shape RBCs in circulation to prevent stroke (Lobitz et al., 2019). The health care professional can exchange transfusions where abnormal sickle RBCs are lowered from the circulation volume before a blood donor transfuse the blood. Blood transfusion is associated with drawbacks, such the inherent safety risks like a lack of available donated blood, blood production' contamination with infectious disease, and immunological sensitivity.

SCD children can be treated using hydroxyurea as it improves fetal hemoglobin production, which in turn lowering abnormal hemoglobin' proportion, making unclear mechanism (Costa & Conran, 2016). Professional mechanisms may entail HbF induction by ribonucleotide inhibition. The other approach that can be applied is reduced endothelial adhesion and increased RBC water content, which lowers infarction incidence.

Caregiver Perspective

The caregiver-patient relationship works in both ways where caregivers and pediatric patients can influence each other. In essence, coping with caregivers and patients is systemic, interrelated, and bidirectional (Alebiosu, 2020). If children cannot cope with SCD, caregivers do feel guilty or hopeless when they cannot offer assistance. For that reason, caregivers are exposed to risk depression and anxiety.

Children with SCD pose undoubted challenges to caregivers based on accomplishing the tasks and family's developmental stage. SCD children experience acute onset characterized by blocked blood flow, which can strike at unexpected moments (Perry et al., 2017). The pain can contribute time away from work, school, and home and extended hospital admission. In most instances, there ceases to be time to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for interfering with acute onset nature.

Families can manage SCD children's stresses via extended family support. In essence, families cope with SCD-related stresses via spending time together and family activities to provide hope and normalcy (Lobitz et al., 2019). Families help the patient by providing financial, physical, and emotional assistance. Intentional family time helps children to cope with accompanying stresses and diagnosis. Children are capable of establishing a strong relationship with the family to handle challenges associated with SCD challenges.

Comparison Perspective

Professional perspective and Caregiver perspective share the same concept of using therapy to meet children's needs. Healthcare practitioners recommend strategies for pain management such as topical medicines, applying heat, and oral fluid intake to relieve stress. Also, caregivers spend special time with children to reduce the level of stress and help them to relieve pain.

However, there is a vast difference between the caregiver's perspective and professional perspective. Families support children patients by providing financial, physical, and emotional assistance (Alebiosu, 2020). In other words, families are responsible for buying medicines for children's upkeep. Health care professionals recognize the use of self-diagnosis and self-monitoring using objective approach measurements and approaches like self-assessment tools, splenic palpation, and thermometer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Professional responses depend primarily on preventive health in which most practitioners focus on areas such as analgesia, taking folic acid supplements, safety with physical activities, nutrition, hydration, and temperature. The caregiver-patient relationship works in both ways where caregivers and pediatric patients can influence each other. In essence, coping with caregivers and patients is systemic, interrelated, and bidirectional. Intentional family time helps children to cope with accompanying stresses and diagnosis. Children are capable of establishing a strong relationship with the family to handle challenges associated with SCD challenges

References

Alebiosu, C. O. (2020). Sickle cell disease: From the laboratory to clinical practice. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Costa, F. F., & Conran, N. (2016). Sickle cell anemia: From basic science to clinical practice. Springer.

Lobitz S., Elion, J., Colombatti, R., & Cela, E. (2019). Newborn screening for sickle cell disease and other Haemoglobinopathies. MDPI.

Perry, S. E., Hockenberry, M. J., Alden, K. R., Lowdermilk, D. L., Cashion, M. C., & Wilson, D. (2017). Maternal child nursing care - E-book. Mosby.