Anemia and leukemia | Nursing homework help
Clinical Manifestations of Leukemia: The clinical manifestations of leukemia include fatigue and anemia, as well as fever, night sweats, weight loss, bone pain, enlarged lymph nodes and easy bruising/bleeding.
Pathophysiology of Leukemia: Leukemia is a result of uncontrolled growth and division of immature white blood cells in the bone marrow. When these abnormal cells accumulate they begin to crowd out healthy red blood cells which can impair the body’s ability to transport oxygen throughout the body leading to symptoms such as anemia and fatigue.
Developmental Considerations for Anemia: For children suffering from anemia due to chronic or acute illnesses their development may be delayed or impaired due to restricted oxygen flow throughout the body. This lack of adequate nutrients can lead to problems with physical growth or cognitive development depending on how severe it is and how long it goes untreated. Additionally anemic infants may struggle with significant jaundice resulting from normal breakdown products not being processed properly due to low levels of red blood cells in the liver.