At the end of this Nursing Case Study, the student-nurse will be able to:
General Objective:
Present the condition called Systematic Lupus Erythematosus in relation to the patient's clinical manifestations, treatment and general health status
Specific Objectives:
Identify the causes of Systematic Lupus Erythematosus that can be traced in relation to the case/condition of the patient
Explain the nursing care performed to the patient with Systematic Lupus Erythematosus
Distinguish the relevance of making this nursing case study
INTRODUCTION
Blood is a highly specialized circulating tissue consisting of several types of cells suspended in a fluid medium known as plasma. The cellular constituents are: red blood cells, which carry respiratory gases and give it its red color because they contain hemoglobin (an iron-containing protein that binds oxygen in the lungs and transports it to tissues in the body), white blood cells (leukocytes), which fight disease, and platelets, cell fragments which play an important part in the clotting of the blood.
Medical terms related to blood often begin with hemo- or hemato- (from the Greek word "haima" for "blood"). Anatomically, blood is considered a connective tissue from both its origin in the bones and its function.
There are many functions of the blood, one is to supply oxygen to tissues wherein it is bound to hemoglobin which is carried in red cells; it supplies of nutrients such as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids (dissolved in the blood or bound to plasma proteins); it removes waste such as carbon dioxide, urea and lactic acid; it has immunological functions, including circulation of white cells, and detection of foreign material by antibodies; it is essential in coagulation, which is one part of the body's self-repair mechanism; it functions as a messenger, including the transport of hormones and the signalling of tissue damage; it regulates body pH