Nursing Care Plan, Pathophysiology and Teaching of ALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nursing Care Plan, Pathophysiology and Teaching of ALL

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Nursing diagnosis	Goal	Intervention
Acute pain related to fever, infections, and increased leukocyte infiltration on the tissues as evidenced by discomfort and too much crying of the child.	The child will stay comfortable and free of pain during the recuperating period	-Assess the level of pain on a scale of 0-10 using both non-verbal cues and patient reports. This will help plan on appropriate management. -administer pain relievers as indicated by the pediatrician, such as analgesics, opioids. Antianxiety agents will also help enhance the effect of pain relievers. -provide a conducive environment for the child and use pain distracting techniques such as music, play, and charts (Vera, 2019).

 

 

Pathophysiology of Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a blood condition that occurs due to white blood cell precursor’s proliferation in the lymph tissue and bone marrow. Naturally, the blood cells are manufactured in the bone marrow, such as the sternum, cranium, and iliac crest. They begin as blasts or stem cells, which later differentiate and mature into the various blood cells- platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells. In the case of ALL, this process of cell manufacturing is interfered with. Instead, the immature white blood cells infiltrate the developing normal cells and replace them. The cells and tissues in the body are infiltrated with these leukemic cells, and as a result, neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia occur. Organ malfunctioning happens due to hemorrhage and encroachment (Vera, 2019).

Signs and Symptoms of ALL

The child presents with the following signs and symptoms:

• High fevers accompanied by thrombocytopenia and the increased tendency of bleeding from the nose and gums.
• The child is easily bruised on having a minor injury.
• Due to immature RBCs, the child presents with symptoms of anemia.
• The child is always tired and with no motivation because of anemia and frequent infections.
• Tachycardia is present as a compensatory mechanism of the heart for the reduced hemoglobin for carrying oxygen to the body tissues.
• The child may present with dyspnoea due to low oxygen in the body cells and tissues; hence the lungs compensate with an increased breathing rate (Belleza, 2017).

Risk factors for ALL

Among the risk factors for acute lymphocytic are:

• Having congenital disorders such as Fanconi anemia, ataxia-telangiectasia, Down syndrome, Bloom syndrome predisposes the child to the acute lymphocytic syndrome.
• Having a family history of ALL is a factor. ALL is genetically passed.
• Exposure to high levels of radiation risks one from having ALL. This can be trough treatment of cancer with radiation therapy, through atomic bomb explosions and even medical imaging tests such as x-ray.
• Exposure to chemicals such as benzene is considered hazardous to your health and contributes to the causation of ALL and AML. This chemical is found in cigarette smoke, in glue, paint strippers, art supplies, and detergents.
• Viral infections such as human T-cell lymphoma virus and Epstein-Barr virus have been associated with ALL.
• Young age is a risk factor, and that’s why ALL affect children mostly.
• Race and ethnicity- the whites are considered to be at more risk than Africans.
• Gender- females, are less affected than their male counterparts
• Having an identical twin with ALL also increased your chances of developing ALL within the first year of life (American Cancer Society, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

American Cancer Society. (2020). Risk factors for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). American Cancer Society | Information and Resources about Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html

Belleza, M. (2017, September 24). Acute lymphocytic leukemia nursing care management: Study guide. Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/#pathophysiology

Vera, M. (2019, April 11). 5 leukemia nursing care plans. Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/5-leukemia-nursing-care-plans/3/