“Children are our most valuable resource and are our future,” according to Herbert Hoover. In order to have children, we must have healthy mothers to bear and deliver those children. Pregnancy is, of course, a difficult time with physical changes and discomfort. However, sometimes pregnancy also brings life threatening physical changes for the mother. One of these is Thrombocytopenia, a disorder related to a low platelets count. It affects many women during the pregnancy. If not treated, it can cause preeclampsia and lead to death to the mother or fetus. Human reproduction is necessary for the continuation of the human race, but thrombocytopenia threatens the continued health of mothers. This makes thrombocytopenia very important and necessary disorder to study and investigate.
What is Thrombocytopenia?
Thrombocytopenia affects 6% to 10% of all pregnant women and, other than anemia, is the most common hematologic disorder in pregnancy (McCrae, 2010). The blood consists of three main ingredients: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each plays an essential function to provide the human body with elements and protects the body against any exterior viral and infection. Platelets are responsible to help blood to clot. The deficiency or disorder of platelets lead to disease called Thrombocytopenia. This issue is diagnosed when platelets are less than 150,000 platelets per microliter of blood (Erkurt, et. al, 2012).
Thrombocytopenia is divided into three different stages by the number of platelets: mild (100,000-150,000/micro l), moderate (50,000-100,000/micro l) and severe (< 50,000/micro l) (Erkurt, et. al, 2012). It effects all ages and especially pregnant woman.
Symptoms and Causes
Thrombocytopenia leads to excessive ...
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... in place in delivery rooms to better sterilize the environment to eliminate viruses and infection which would further risk bleeding for mother or infant and thus lead to increased time in the NICU.
Works Cited
Erkurt, M.A., Kaya, E., Berber, I., Koroglu, M., Kuku,I. (June 2012). “Thrombocytopenia in
Adults: Review Article.” Journal of Hematology: Vol. 1, No. 2-3
Cohen, R., Garcia, C.A., Mena, D., Castellanos, M., Wu L.T. (April 2012). “Case Review: Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura.” Journal of Medical Cases: Vol. 3, No. 2.
McCrae, R.K. (December 4, 2010). “Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy.” ASH Education Program Book: doi: 10.1182/asheducation-2010.1.397 vol. 2010 no. 1 397-402
Rajasekhar, A. MD, Gernsheimer, T., MD, Stasi, R., MD, James, A.H., MD (2013). American Society of Hematology: Quick reference: Clinical Practice Guide on Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy.
Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process, which is not normal. Some people with Hemophilia may just have a little bit of “clotting factor” or no clotting factor at all (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2013). Clotting factor is a protein in blood that controls bleeding and they are needed the blood to clot normally. In order to help the blood clot, clotting factors work with “platelets” (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2013). Platelets are small blood cell fragments that form in the bone marrow, a tissue in the bones that is similar to a sponge. The functions of platelets have a very important role in blood clotting; the role of a platelet is to stick together (by the help of clotting factors) to block cuts, break on the carriers of blood (veins or arteries) throughout the body, and stop the bleeding when “blood vessels” (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2013) are injured. Blood vessels are tube like structures carrying blood through the tissues and organs, like a vein, artery, or capillary. People with hemophilia do not have enough “clotting factor VIII or IX” (World Federation of Hemophilia [WFH], 2013) in their blood, which results to prolonged bleeding or oozing, meaning that bleeding can last longer (though, not faster) than usual after surgeries, accidents, or having teeth pulled out at the dentist. Clotting factor VIII, which can also be called as “anti-hemophilic factor” (AHF, for short) (Patient.co.uk, 2011), is a blood clotting protein that is necessary for humans to have. Clotting Factor IX is a protein that i...
Getahun, Darios, Yinka Oyelese, Hamisu M. Salihu, and Cande V. Ananth. "Previous Cesarean Delivery and Risks of Placenta Previa and Placental Abruption." Obstetrics & Gynecology 107.4 (2006): 771-78. Print.
Haemophilia is used to describe a collection of hereditary genetic diseases that affect a mammal’s body’s capability to control thrombogenesis. Thrombogenesis is the way in which blood clots which is an important role in haemostasis. Two common forms of haemophilia are A and B. (1) Someone with A (otherwise known as classic haemophilia), clotting factor VIII is does not exist enough or is entirely absent. A person with haemophilia B (otherwise known as Christmas disease), clotting factor does not exist enough or is also entirely absent. Those with the disorder do not bleed a lot they just simply bleed for a longer period of time. All people with haemophilia A or B are born with the disorder as it is a hereditary disorder and passed down through generations very few cases of haemophilia are not genetic and are therefore rendered a spontaneous gene mutation which is then passed down.
After the report, I started working on my own charting on maternal assessment. For the mother’s basic information such as Rubella immunity, I only completed partially. I wrote about hemorrhoid for my care plan, in which I wrote “a small hemorrhoid” as my dia...
The changes in f8 and f9 gene are responsible for hemophilia A and B. the f8 gene codes for a protein called coagulation 8. This protein is responsible for the blood clotting process. After an injury blood clots protect the body by sealing off the area of injury. Mutation in the f8 and f9 gene can lead to the abnormal form of the protein. Also can lead to a reduction of the coagulation pro...
Perinatol, J. 2011. Fetal Intraperitoneal Injection of Immunoglobulin Diminishes Alloimmune Hemolysis. Journal of Perinatology. V. 31. Pg. 289-292.
Lowdermilk, D. L., Perry, S., Cashion, K., & Alden, K. R. (2012). Maternity & women's health care (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
eclampsia in a pregnant woman can put her and her unborn child at risk. A risk
“ Sepsis” according to the International Surviving Sepsis Campaign, is defined as the presence of infection together with systemic manifestations of infection (Dellinger et al., 2013) In todays modern society sepsis still accounts for 15% of maternal deaths a year worldwide (Dolea & Stein, 2003). Despite medical advances, aseptic technique, and antibiotic use, sepsis is the most common cause of direct maternal death in the UK. According to the CMACE report the maternal mortality rate increased from 0.85 deaths per 100,000 maternities in 2003–05 to 1.13 deaths in 2006–08 (Harper, 2011). Puerperal sepsis has a long history within obstetrics and midwifery, and yet despite this knowledge it has become, yet again, the leading cause of direct maternal death. Therefore due to the increased maternal mortality, I have chosen to focus on the care of a woman within ...
In most hospital delivery rooms, the doctors will routinely clamp and sever the umbilical cord with in fifteen to thirty seconds of the mother giving birth. When clamping the cord, the doctors will clamp the cord in two places, one close to the infant and then again in the middle of the cord another clamp. By delaying the clamping, fetal blood in the placental transfusion can provide the infant with an additional thirty percent more blood volume and up to sixty percent more blood cells (McDonald, S., & Middleton, P., 2009). This reduces the risk of the hemorrhaging that could occur after birth. But with new ongoing studies, it is said that by delaying the clamping of the cor...
Rodak, B. F., Fritsma, g. A., & Doig, K. (2007). Hematology: Clinical Principles and applications. St. louis: Saunders Elsevier.
Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is generally defined as a blood loss of more than 500 mL after a vaginal birth, more than 1000 mL after a cesarean section, and a ten percent decrease in hematocrit levels from pre to post birth measurements (Ward & Hisley, 2011). An early hemorrhage occurs within 24 hours of birth, with the greatest risk in the first four hours. A late hemorrhage happens after 24 hours of birth but less than six weeks after birth. Uterine atony—failure for the uterine myometrium to contract—is the most common postpartum hemorrhage (Venes, Ed.).(2013). Other etiologies include lower genital tract lacerations, uterine inversion, retained products of conception and bleeding disorders (Kawamura, Kondoh, Hamanishi, Kawasaki, & Fujita, (2014).
III. Imagine your best friend has just been diagnosed with leukemia, a disease requiring regular transfusions of platelets.
Jancárková, N., & Gregor, V. (2000). [Teratogens during pregnancy]. Ceska gynekologie/Ceska lekarska spolecnost J. Ev. Purkyne, 65(3), 188-194.
should be checked for a clot and then examined on a slide to verify the low platelet count.