Sickle-cell disease physical examination: Difference between revisions
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==Physical examination== | ==Physical examination== | ||
The physical examination of a patient with sickle cell disease includes head-to-toe evaluation for disease-specific complications. Vaso-occlusive crises can occur in nearly any vascular bed. The physical exam should thus be guided by symptoms at presentation. For example, a patient with sickle cell disease who presents with headache should receive neurological exam, which may given insight into the specific location of vaso-occlusive phenomenon. Exam of spleen size is important since autosplenctomy can occur. Patients with sickle cell disease are also at risk for infectious complications, given splenic dysfunction. Regarding infectious complications, attention should be paid to signs of pneumonia (e.g. egophony, decreased breath sounds), osteomyelitis (bone pain, etc), and sepsis (fever, tachycardia, tachypnea). | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 23:48, 14 August 2016
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Sickle-cell disease Microchapters |
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Sickle-cell disease physical examination On the Web |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Sickle-cell disease physical examination |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Overview
Physical examination
The physical examination of a patient with sickle cell disease includes head-to-toe evaluation for disease-specific complications. Vaso-occlusive crises can occur in nearly any vascular bed. The physical exam should thus be guided by symptoms at presentation. For example, a patient with sickle cell disease who presents with headache should receive neurological exam, which may given insight into the specific location of vaso-occlusive phenomenon. Exam of spleen size is important since autosplenctomy can occur. Patients with sickle cell disease are also at risk for infectious complications, given splenic dysfunction. Regarding infectious complications, attention should be paid to signs of pneumonia (e.g. egophony, decreased breath sounds), osteomyelitis (bone pain, etc), and sepsis (fever, tachycardia, tachypnea).