Pyruvate kinase deficiency is a rare genetic disease that causes red blood cells to break apart. Despite an ever-growing understanding of the disease, it remains unfamiliar to many healthcare professionals, and the information available to patients is limited.
This superbly illustrated workbook is designed to help patients equip themselves with the best information about their condition to improve the conversations they have about it with their doctors and nurses. It provides simple but detailed explanations of:
* the role of red blood cells and what goes wrong in pyruvate kinase deficiency
* how the condition is inherited
* how the condition affects patients
* blood tests, and what the results mean
* supportive treatments, including blood transfusions and surgical removal of the spleen
* how complications such as iron overload and jaundice are managed.
With FastTests to test patients' understanding of their condition, and plenty of space to write notes, this concise, easy-to-read resource will help patients get organized so that they are better equipped to ask the right questions and have more meaningful discussions about their treatment. Ultimately, it will help them make the best decisions about their care.