Both Hematocrit and Hemoglobin are low; these results would indicate possible bleeding, which may lead to anemia. Anemia can lead to angina or aggravate Heart Failure symptoms. Low hemoglobin would also contribute to a decreased O2 saturation level because hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body.…
Chronic anemia can lead to having to receive blood products and taking iron pills for a long period of time. With osteoporosis, falls may cause broken bones, so patients may be on calcium supplements for life.…
1. Lower than normal Hematocrit indicates Anemia. Hematocrit does not have enough Hemoglobin which is an oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells that results in having Iron, B12 and Folic Acid deficiencies. The main causes of developing Anemia include: medications and pregnancy, but the more serious causes include: kidney disease and cancer of the kidney, also leukemia and lymphoma.…
Anemia is a disease state that is characterized by a reduction of hemoglobin (Hb) or volume of red blood cells (RBC’s). The reduction in Hb or RBC’s leads to diminished oxygen carrying ability of the blood. Many forms of anemia exist – the anemias discussed will be relevant to our patient, JJ, based on her signs/symptoms and past medical history (PMH). Anemia can be classified based on the appearance or size of the RBC. The size of the RBC can be determined by either calculating the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of the RBC based on hematocrit and…
B.O. is an 87-year-old patient who was hospitalized for syncope. Her syncope episode caused her to lose consciousness for a minute, which resulted in a fall at her nursing home. There were no fractures as a result, but she did experience some bruising. She had experienced several other episodes of dizziness within the past month. The patient has a history of confusion, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, tremors and anemia, all of which can contribute to an increased risk for falls. A relevant nursing diagnosis for B.O is risk for falls related to syncope, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, tremors, and anemia.…
In this lab five blood tests will be performed: hematocrit determination, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin determination, blood typing, and total cholesterol determination. A “hematocrit refers to the percentage of red blood cells (RBC’s) in a sample of whole blood. Since the function of red blood cells is the transport of oxygen to the cells of the body, the higher the hematocrit, the more red blood cells are available to carry oxygen.” In a normal, healthy male the value for males is 47% and in a normal, healthy female it is 42%. A person with a lower than normal hematocrit would indicate they are anemic, and a higher than normal hematocrit would indicate polycythemia. “Anemia is a condition in which insufficient oxygen is transported to the body’s cells. There are many possible causes for anemia, including inadequare numbers of red blood cells, decreased amount of the oxygen-carrying pigment hemoglobin, and abnormal hemoglobin. Polycythemia refers to a significant increase in red blood cells.” Some causes for this increase in red blood cells are tumors in bone marrow, vigorous athletic training, and living in a place that is higher in altitude. To determine a hematocrit value a whole blood sample is put into microcapillary tube and spun in a special microhematocrit centrifuge. By doing this the blood sample will separate the blood cells from the blood plasma and there will be a “buffy coat” of white blood cells between the layer of blood plasma and red blood cell layer. Then the hematocrit value can be determined “by measuring the height of the layer of red cells in millimeters and dividing that number by the height of the initial column of blood to obtain the percentage of red blood cells. In this experiment there will be six samples from six individuals, a healthy male who lives in Boston, a healthy female who lives in Boston, a healthy male who lives in Denver, a healthy female who lives…
Why would the hemoglobin levels of an anemic patient be lower than the hemoglobin levels of a normal, healthy individual?…
Friedman, Arnold J, et al, “Iron Deficiency Anemia In Women Across The Life Span.” Journal…
Dean, E. (2012). Reducing Falls Among Older People In Hospital. Nursing Older People, 24(5), 16-19…
A weakness in the study was that it was limited in its sample size in which it only included eighteen informants and only fifteen completing the post-discharge interview. Another limitation in the study is that it consists of a single hospital setting. Therefore, findings cannot be generalized beyond the current setting. Additionally, a limitation in the study is that its limited to only English speaking participants. Ultimately, additional research will need to be conducted on this subject to further understanding off fall risk and fall prevention within this age group.…
The Homeostasis Gizmo™ shows a person on a treadmill. Notice the Air temperature and Body temperature thermometers.…
It is often assumed that as all humans age, their motor function becomes more and more impaired. Many people in the elderly population experience problems with posture and balance that can lead to falls. Falls that cause serious injury, such as bone fractures, are known to increase the mortality rate in the elderly. This subject is of particular interest to me as I work in Cardiac Rehabilitation and have seen many patients health spiral downward and eventually lead to death as a result of loss of motor control. Fifty percent of all people older than 80 years fall each year. Of those who fall, 20-30% have moderate to severe injuries such as hip fractures or head injures that decrease mobility and…
Elderly people are a vulnerable population for many reasons. Characteristics of a vulnerable population include being susceptible to or at risk for health problems (de Chesnay & Anderson, 2012, p. 4). One thing that elders are susceptible to is being prone to a fall. Falls can result in a variety of injuries from fractures to chronic pain to reduced quality of life and increased morbidity (Karlsson, Magnusson, von Schewelov, & Rosengren, 2013). Many risk factors contribute increased likelihood of falls. Change in routine or environment, inappropriate footwear, and other chronic health conditions contribute to a higher risk of…
Anemia is a deadly disease; approximately 50% of people with sickle cell anemia survive to mid-40’s although fewer than 10% live more than 60 years. The devastating thong about anemia is that it can be inherited and with no cure, the cases of Anemia are increasing. Even though there is no cure, early diagnosis of low blood count can lead to better treatment, with better treatment, patients can live normal lives. However, the key to early diagnosis is learning what anemia is and the causes of this blood disease.…
In this chapter I will be talking about how physical and psychological changes that can occur within ageing and how this could affect an individual.…