Question

The nurse is caring for a 4-year-old with sickle cell anemia. a physical finding the nurse might expect to see in him is:

slightly yellow sclerae.
depigmented areas on the abdomen.
enlarged mandibular growth.
increased growth of long bones.

Answer 1

The most likely physical finding the nurse might expect to see in a 4-year-old with sickle cell anemia is slightly yellow sclerae.

Option A is correct

We say this because sickle cell anemia can lead to chronic hemolysis, the breakdown of red blood cells. This breakdown releases bilirubin, a yellow pigment, which can build up in the blood and cause jaundice, manifesting as slightly yellow skin and sclerae.

] While skin lesions can occur in sickle cell anemia, these are not typically depigmented areas on the abdomen. Enlarged mandibular growth is not a typical finding in sickle cell anemia.