Assessment of the Knowledge of Diagnosed Sickle Cell Patients About Sickle Cell Anaemia
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY IS TO:
- Assess the knowledge of diagnosed sickle cell patients about sickle cell anaemia;
- Assess if the knowledge of sickle cell patients influence the practice of prevention of sickle cell crises.
- Examine the influence of knowledge and attitude about the practice of prevention on the incidence of the disease.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder caused by abnormal hemoglobin (Creary, Williamson, & Kulkarni, 2007). Sickle cell disease limits the oxygenating role of hemoglobin, resulting in the damaging or the “sickling” of the red blood cells (Barakat, Schwartz, Simon, & Radcliffe, 2008). This disorder affect all parts of the human body and differs widely among individuals (Bloom, 1995). In 1910, Dr. James Herrick, a Chicago physician, was the first American to formally report and identify elongated, sickle-shaped hemoglobin in an anemic Grenadian student’s blood smear. Herrick coined the now familiar term “sickle cell” (Ogamdi, 1994). The sickle-shaped red blood cells described by Herrick caused several complications, including chronic anemia, vaso-occlusive pain episodes, ischemic organ damage, infections, small stature, and delayed puberty (Barakat et al, 2008). For many generations sickle cell disease has been a prevalent disease in Africa. Reports show that sickle cell disease was a well-known disorder in West Africa and that the West African natives had several local names for this disease before it was discovered in America (Reid & Rodgers, 2007).
Sickle cell disease affects millions of people throughout the world, and it is found to be the most common blood disorder among families whose ancestors came from Sahara Africa, South America, Cuba, Central America, Saudi Arabia, India, and the Mediterranean regions (Creary et al, 2007). Studies indicate that approximately 1 in 12 African-Americans are heterozygous for the disorder, and approximately 1 in 500 African-American newborns are diagnosed annually with SCD (Boyd, Watkins, Price, Fleming & DeBaun, 2005). Also, the life expectancy for SCD has doubled since the 1960s. Before that time, few patients lived to reach adulthood (Platt, Brambilla, Rosse, Milner, Castro, Steinberg, & Kulg 1994).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study aimed at finding out the knowledge, attitude and practice of sickle cell crises prevention among patients attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH), Lagos.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The research design was a descriptive study. The technique was used because it employs questionnaire to determine patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice of sickle cell crises prevention.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
PRESENTATION OF TABLES, CHARTS, FIGURES AND INTERPRETATIONS.
This chapter deals with the analysis of data collected on the topic
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
SUMMARY
The study was conducted to find out about the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Sickle cell crises Prevention among Diagnosed Patients Attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos. To achieve this, structured questionnaires were administered to one hundred (100) diagnosed sickle cell patients, same retrieved, analyzed and interpreted based on the findings.
The findings revealed that some respondents believed that sickle cell disease has cure. The attitudes of sickle cell patients as revealed by this research work shows that some respondents believed that their academic grades were not affected by their status. A large number of the respondents were not aware of any vaccine developed to prevent sickling crises.
The result further revealed that a good knowledge by the sickle cell patients couple with a stable mental state will be of help in effective prevention of sickle cell crises.
CONCLUSION
The findings in this study showed a high level of awareness about the existence of sickle cell disease. But a comprehensive knowledge about the prevention of crises was low and associated with vast misconception. The sickle cell disease patients receives low level of attention, love and care from medical personnels as well as relatives as shown from the findings in the study.
In the absence of a cure of sickle cell disease, there is a need for sensitization and continuous education among child bearing age group to know their genotype status, while SCD patients should be educated to live a lifestyle that can prevent them from falling into crises.
RECOMMENDATION
The society will not only need to be health educated about sickle cell disease itself, but also about the knowledge, attitudes and practice of sickle cell crises prevention via the mass media (both electronics and prints). Therefore, the patients, health personnel, public and government have several roles to play.
TO THE PATIENTS
Sickle cell disease patients should adhered strictly to their drug regimen.
They should avoid smoking.
REFERENCES
- Adedoyin (2000), psychological inventory on sickle cell disease patient. Internet: <http://ncbl.nih.gov/pmc3764710
- Barakat et al, (2008), correlation of pain-rating concordance for adolescents with sickle cell disease and their care givers. Clinical pain journal, 24(5), 438-446
- Barbara, F.W.(2003), Baillier’s Nurse’s Dictionary, (23rd Edition), London:Baillier Tindall
- Bloom, M.(1995). Understanding sickle cell disease. Jackson, MS: University press of Mississippi
- Boyed et al, (2005, January). Inadequate community knowledge about sickle cell disease among African – American women. Journal of the National Medical Association, 97 (1), 63-67.
- Cerami, A. (1974), Sickle cell anaemia. New York: Joseph Okpaku Publishing co.inc (P168-172)
- Chioma, O. (2011). In Health Vanguard, August 23, P27. Internet <http://vanguardngr.com/2011/08/sickle-cell-disease-know-your-genotype/
