The various nursing intervention approaches to descrease pain among patients with sickle cell disease - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... globin chain and is usually found from people of African-American, Middle Eastern, African, Afro-Caribbean, Indian or Mediterranean descent (McMahon, Callaghan, O'Brien, and Smith, 2002, 183) This condition usually results in haemoglobin with increased blood viscosity, dehydration, acidosis, or infection polymerise with less deformable red cells (McMahon et al, 2002). The symptoms of SCD which results to vascular occlusion are painful hand-foot syndromes, cerebrovascular occlusions, chest syndromes, and splenic sequestration resulting to splenic atrophy. It is characterized by the failure of the spleen to function optimally even in the first months of birth that usually leads to overwhelming pneumococcal infection, usually at 20% mortality rate for patients under 5 years old (Overturf, 1999). Since access to health care is seen as one of the main problems for SCD patients (Routhieaux, Sarcone, Stegenga, 2005), it becomes important to identify ways to mitigate its most immediate or important effect on patient which is pain described as chronic, acute or both. Pain management is an important element of care for SCD patients and related to pain management are to identify pain treatment, control or reduction. Quality of life is an overarching goal for sick patients even those with genetic disorders such as SCD. Pain reduction is usually related to increased patient satisfaction and improved quality of life even in conditions of disease and chronic pain (Adegbola, 2009). Chronic pain has been reported by people with SCD even when they now have chances of living a longer life (Adegbola, 2009). Use of pain relieving, controlling and treatment method for patients with SCD is then important for the determination of quality delivery of health care services. Various methods are employed in Hospitals settings to treat SCD patients in reducing, controlling, and treating pain. These are influenced by the pain assessor, patient access, affordability, availability, knowledge and orientation of administrator, and other factors that may be present during prescription or administration. This research will identify these methods and their frequency of use among patients 18 years old and below. -Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to identify the pain reduction methods used during in nursing intervention and care for patients with SCD. Through identification of these methods and their result on quality of care, nursing professionals may be provided with a guide which method or methods best suit patients with ages below 18 years old. Sickle cell disease is characterized by painful experiences of patients of all ages. In the United States alone, there are about 75,000 people with SCD and that 1 out of 12 African Americans have the sickle cell trait. While it has been suggested that chronic pain is more prevalent and severe during the earlier years of study about the disease, there still are reported daily experiences of pain by SCD patients in more recent cases (Adegbola, 2009). The study will identify and chronicle the methods used in reducing or removing pain among SCD patients below eighteen (18) years old during the period January 2009 to January 2010 at Kendall Regional Hospital in-patient section. The findings will aid nurses whose and care providers to determine which best will fit their requirement or need of their patients aged 18 years old and below as well as inform them of available options and best practices in SCD pain management. -Specific aims The specific aim of this study is ...Download file to see next pagesRead More