Henoch-Schonlein Purpur A Case Study

Two years ago my cousin Joshua was diagnosed with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP). HSP is a disease involving inflammation of small blood vessels and is most commonly seen in children (Trnka, 2013). HSP is the most common childhood vasculitis with a reported annual incidence that varies between ten and thirty cases per one hundred thousand children, based on hospital and overall population estimates for children under seventeen years of age. Children can form a respiratory infection, purpura, arthritis or arthralgia, abdominal pain, and possibly renal disease as symptoms of HSP (Trnka, 2013).
The process leading to my cousin’s diagnosis of HSP was the not an easy road I found out through my interview with my Aunt Jessica and my now six year old cousin, Joshua. Joshua was an outgoing, enthusiastic, energetic, and inquisitive four year old at the time of this incident. The infection began simply with Joshua’s hand being swollen. He had not bumped it or pinched it or injured his hand in any way. His parents, alarmed by the continued swelling and prompted by their pediatrician, took him to Penn State Hershey Medical Center Children’s Hospital on a Sunday afternoon. Joshua’s two older

Communication between everyone is a large factor in a hospital visit. My aunt and uncle felt as if there should have been more frequent visits from the doctor. The lack of responses to my cousin’s medical condition became frustrating as they were not able to get all of their questions answered. “The care of a child coping under stress needs to be a collaborative group effort” states researcher Mohamad Kaddoura (2013). “Most professionals reported that situations would have been conducted more efficiently if better communication had been in place” (Kaddoura, 2013, p. 3). This is where a Child Life Specialist steps in to