Blood Disorders and Blood Safety - Essay Example

Von Willebrand and hemophilia are bleeding and clotting disorders. Hemophilia only affects males and involves a shortage of the protein needed for blood to clot; this makes minor injuries major because of excess joint bleeding due to no clot formation. Repeated minor injuries will cause joint disease but early treatment and prevention can be successful. Von Willebrand disease is the most common bleeding disorder affecting both men and women though women more so because of menstrual bleeding. Deep vein thrombosis is a different kind of clotting disorder; blood clots abnormally, usually in the leg, and has the possibility of traveling to the lung, known as pulmonary embolism.

Sickle cell and thalassemia involve abnormally shaped blood cells which cause an individual pain. These disorders are recessive genetic disorders and more common in people who are of African descent, Southeast Asian, and the Mediterranean.

Our blood service providers collect blood through blood donations and blood drives; they are responsible for maintaining our supply at adequate levels and in a safe manner while also distributing blood products. They also provide outreach and education services. Some of these providers are the Red Cross and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Rare blood types cause a limited supply and those blood products such as platelets have a shelf life of only two days. Because neonatal tetanus can sometimes present in an umbilical cord causing it to need to be cut early blood and blood products are crucial.

Healthcare-associated infections are another public health concern. These are infections that patients get while receiving health care services. Examples of these can be catheter-related, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia. Some common risk factors can be medical procedures and antibiotic use, organizational factors, and patient characteristics. Prevention of these infections is primarily on the health care provider who must practice proper technique and use standard precautions when doing any procedure or patient care (Health…).

Using improper sterilization and disinfection, reusing syringes, and using single medication vials for patients are all techniques that can contribute to infection. This topic is important to neonatal tetanus because tetanus is commonly spread through dirt, which though uncommon in the United States may be more prevalent in developing countries or where health care is provided at home.

2. Diabetes might be considered a secondary related factor in that expecting mothers with diabetes may experience neuropathy in their feet and need to be careful with cuts and injuries which may lead to infection. This is very unlikely but it must be considered a possibility.

Healthcare-associated infections are a relative factor in neonatal tetanus in areas where they may practice health care in environments that are not clean or contain dirt, especially maternal health care, such as in developing countries where living conditions are not that of the United States and often health care is provided at home.

Blood and blood-related products are important in the event of neonatal tetanus. This can present itself at the umbilical cord which may need to be cut. Surgical interventions of any invasive kind always have the need for an emergency supply of blood and blood products.

Maternal, infant, and child health is obviously a topic that has a direct relation to neonatal tetanus. Receiving prenatal care is imperative, as health care providers commonly screen expecting mothers for the status of a tetanus shot. Expecting mothers can transmit tetanus to their babies. Occupation Health and safety is an area that should also be screen in expecting mothers for risk factors.