Importance of Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI)

Importance of Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) Ankle Brachial Pressure Index test use as a tool of foot assessment in diabetic patient to reduce rate of lower extremity amputation. INTRODUCTION This essay will reflect on the importance of ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) use as a tool while performing foot assessment (FA) to identify diabetic patients who are at risk of foot ulcers and detecting vascular impairment in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) hence preventing lower extremity amputation (LEA). FA helps to detect the level of risk of a diabetic patient developing a foot ulcer (Singh N et al., 2005, Grawford F et al.,2007). When there is no early detection and intervention, foot ulcers deteriorate resulting in amputation of the affected limb (Kerr M, 2012, Young MJ et al., 2008). All diabetic patients should perform annual FA to identify any abnormality (American Diabetes Associaton 2012) and those who are at risk should have FA done more frequently (Frykberg RG et al., 2006). Gibbs’ model of reflection (Gibbs 1988) is used in this discussion because it is easy to use, simple and is a good guidance of reflection. 25% of diabetic people will develop foot ulcer due to diabetes (Singh N et al., 2005) while 85% of diabetic patients with foot ulcers can lead to LEA (Pecoraro RE et al., 1990, Margolis DJ et al., 2005). â€Å"The emotional and financial costs of diabetic foot disease are high† (Close-Tweedie, 2002). Approximately 400 cases of LEA are performed yearly in Mauritius due to complication of Diabetes, costing about Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 for each limb amputation (Apsa International 2014, Mauritius Research Council 2012). However 85% of level of amputation can be reduced through a multidisciplinary team by early detection of foot problems, proper FA, empowering patient by giving them health education, close monitoring and proper care (International Diabetes Federation 2005, Pecoraro RE, 1990). DESCRIPTION The Government of Mauritius is doing much effort to increase the quality of life of diabetic people, national digital retinal screening service and podiatry services are available (Millenium Development Goals Status Report 2013). Foot ulcer clinics have been set up in all regional hospitals in Mauritius. During my training as a foot ulcer nurse I happened to do an ABPI (see Appendix 1) while doing FA with a patient whom I will call Mr John who has a non healing ulcer in his left hallux. His foot has never been assessed by a health care professional and he was not aware of FA. The ABPI result was 0.7 (see Appendix 2) indicating that he has moderate peripheral arterial disease. He was referred to the vascular surgeon by the treating Doctor. The result was confirmed through a colour duplex Doppler showing significant and arterial stenosis below the knee by greater than 60%. The patient underwent revascularization. Proper management of the wound was done, compression was not applied (Vow den K and Vowden P, 2002) and now the ulcer is showing good signs of healing. FEELINGS Getting the opportunity to follow the foot ulcer management course made me overwhelm. I was so enthusiastic to learn new ways and techniques of FA that I will apply with patients acting as a barrier to protect them from stumbling into the pitfall of foot complications hence preventing amputations. Before undertaking the module I was not aware of the importance of FA in preventing LEA. A 10g Semmes Weinstein monofilament is used to check loss of sensation in neuropathy and a hand-held doppler use to calculate ABPI to assess the vascular flow was far from my know how. After undertaking the module and wider reading with endeavours, though there were many ups and downs due to time constraint, now I feel more self-confident and have more expertise in practicing ABPI while doing FA. Having been able to detect the cause of non healing ulcer of Mr John through an ABPI while doing FA, I felt very happy and eventually this has motivated me to learn the module more correctly. I was determined t o put ABPI technique into practice in my field of work so that I can manage patient correctly and refer them to the appropriate channel for specific treatment through multidisciplinary team (John Ovretveti, 1996). EVALUATION I have learnt that foot problems related to diabetes occur very quickly, causing rapid tissue breakdown which is often complicated by infection (Edmonds et al., 1986) and eventually may lead to LEA (Close-Tweedie J, 2002). Factors influencing wound healing are hyperglycaemia (McInnes, 2001), change in metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins because of insulin deficiency (Cooper, 1990). Furthermore many factors prevent the normal process of wound healing at cellular level including delayed closure, contraction retarded due to delayed myofibroblast phenotype, granulocytes effect, no collagen synthesis, chemotaxis defects and no growth factors (Close-Tweedie J, 2002). Therefore, if there is decrease in tissue perfusion and oxygenation, wound healing will not take place (Terranova, 1991). Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) in the lower extremity is a condition where there is narrowing of arteries in the legs and feet due to accumulation of fatty substance called plaque, inside the walls of arteries. This result in poor blood supply to the muscles and tissues in the legs and feet hereby causing pain, tissue death and even gangrene. It is important to assess the arterial perfusion as impaired circulation contribute to non healing ulcer (Akbari CM, 2003). When assessing diabetic foot, the palpation of ankle pulses should not be used alone to detect arterial disease (Vowden K and Vowden P, 2002) and â€Å"distal perfusion can only be accurately assessed by the correct application of Doppler† (Whiteley et al., 1998). The ABPI is a simple, quick, non-invasive tool use to identify PAD(Bhasin N and Scott DJA, 2007). However, ABPI is not as easy to perform as it appears. I have done an ABPI with Mr John and this has helped in identifying the cause of the non healing ulcer. This was due to impaired blood circulation and the patient has been directed to the proper pathway to restore the blood flow. Hence this has helped the wound to show good signs of healing. ANALYSIS It is through performing an ABPI with Mr Brown that the cause of the non healing wound has been detected. I am pondering on how many patients have non healing ulcers due to impaired circulation and FA has not been done including ABPI. So ABPI is done on all diabetic patients with or without foot ulcers who are coming to our clinic for FA and they are being referred to proper channel for further management. My aim is to prevent diabetic patients to have foot complications and reduce the rate of LEA. ABPI result help us to evaluate the vascular supply, level of ischaemia, level of pain in the leg, determine the prognosis for patients having vascular disease and guide whether the patient should undergo revascularization or do angioplasty, stenting or bypass surgery of lower extremity. (Grenon SM et al., 2009). By interpreting the ABPI resuIts, now I am sure and certain of what types of bandaging to use, what dressing materials and medications to use to treat and help healing of ulcers. ABPI also guides us to decide whether debridement of the wound should be done or not and what type of offloading techniques to be implemented. CONCLUSION The fundamentals basics for healing of DFU are good perfusion, debridement, infection control, and pressure mitigation. To obtain successful outcome in the management of DFU is to recognize the etiological factors (Wu SC et al., 2007). Doing an ABPI help to improve the management of diabetic patients. The ABPI assessment was of great help to know the risk of the foot. For those having no ulcers, they are being managed by the correct channel to prevent complications from arising, while those having an ulcer are also diverted to correct pathway of treatment including surgeons and foot care nurses to manage foot problems correctly under the guidance of all expertise available at the hospital level. ACTION PLAN Now having well grasped the module workbook, I have allocated myself with a good time of reflection about how previously diabetic patients, with or without ulcers, were being treated and what was the complication and drawbacks we had in our system. After I have well understood the importance of ABPI during my studentship at the module and from my personal experience gained during the management of diabetic foot ulcer, now I make it a must that all diabetic patients, attending hospital from any sections, have an appointment to screen their foot with an ABPI done. Eventually, canalizing them through the correct pathways for further investigations and management required with the goal to reduce the rate of LEA. However, ABPI is contraindicated when there is excruciating pain in the leg or foot, in the presence of deep venous thrombosis as the thrombus may be dislodged and in patient with renal failure doing dialysis. ABPI results should be interpreted with care in patients having heavily calcified or incompressible vessels, where they may be misleadingly high. (Grenon SM et al., 2009). REFLECTION In this work piece of reflection, I have demonstrated how I use ABPI on diabetic patients to reduce the rate of LEA. Observing the result being achieved by this assessment, other members of health care providers insist about the implementation of this typical assessment. We are now more eager to know about the ABPI result on diabetic patients prior moving forward with any kind of management. I feel happy that my knowledge gained from the module are being put into practice and ABPI assessment has proved to be a great tool to reduce LEA which has been the aim of the government since long. REFERENCES Akbari CM, Macsata R, Smith BM, Sidawy AN. Overview of the diabetic foot. Semin Vasc Surg 16:3-11, 2003. American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2012. Diabetes Care, Volume 35, Supplement 1, January 2012. Apsa.mu, (2014). Foot Care Clinic | Apsa International. [online] Available at: http://apsa.mu/services/foot-care-clinic/ [Accessed 22 June 2014]. Bhasin N and Scott DJA. Ankle Brachial Pressure Index: identifying cardiovascular risk and improving diagnostic accuracy. JR Soc Med. Jan 2007; 100(1): 4–5. [online] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1761677/ [Accessed 22 June 2014]. Close-Tweedie J. Diabetic foot wounds and wound healing: a review. Diabetic Foot Vol 5, No 2, 2002. Cooper DM (1990). Optimising wound repair: a practice within nursing’s domain. Nursing clinics of North America 25(1): 165-80. Department of Health, 2001. National Service Framework for Diabetes:Standards. [online] Available at http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/attachment_data/file/198836/National_Service_Framework_for_Diabetes.pdf [Accessed 04 June 2014]. Edmonds ME, Blundell MP, Morris HE et al (1986). The diabetic foot: impact of a foot clinic. The Quarterly Journal of Medicine 232: 763-71. Frykberg RG, Zgonis T, Armstrong DG, Driver VR, Giurini JM, Kravitz SR, Landsman AS, Lavery LA, Moore JC, Schuberth JM, Wukcih DK, Andersen C, Vanore JV: Diabetic Foot Disorders : a clinical practice guideline (2006 revision). J Foot Ankle Surgery 45 (Suppl 5): S1-S66, 2006. Gibbs G, 1988. Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Oxford Further Education Unit (online) Available at: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade/study-skills/reflective-gibbs.html [Accessed 17 June 2014]. Grawford F, Inkstor M, Kleijnen J, Fatey T. Predicting foot ulcers in patients with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. QJ Med 2007; 100(2): 65-86. Grenon S. Marlene, Gagnon Joel and Hsiang York. Ankle-Brachial Index for Assessment of Peripheral Arterial Disease. The New England Journal of Medicine 2009; 361: e40/ November 2009. [online] Available at: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMvcm0807012 [ Accessed 22 June 2014]. International Diabetes Federation (2005) Clinical Guidelines Task Force; Global guidance for Type 2 Diabetes. Brussels. International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, 2011. [online] Available at: www.iwgdf.org [Accessed 18 June 2014]. Kerr M. Foot care for people with diabetes: the economic case for change. NHS Diabetes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2012. Margolis DJ, Allen-Taylor L, Hoffstad O, Berlin JA. Diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers and amputation. Wound Repair Regen 13:230-236,2005. Mauritius Research Council, Ebene. Impact of food quality on human health, Feb 2012. [online] Available at: http://www.mrc.org.mu/document2012/nationalgroup/Impacts%20of%20Food%20Quality%20on%20Human%20Health.pdf [Accessed 21 June 2014]. McInnes A (2001). Guide to the assessment and management of diabetic foot wounds. The Diabetic Foot 4 (Suppl 1):S1-11. Millennium Development Goals Status Report 2013, Government of the Republic of Mauritius. [online] Available at http://www.undg.org/docs/13330/Muaritius-MDG-Status-Report-2013.pdf [Accessed 21 June 2014]. Ovretvet John. Five ways to describe a multidisciplinary team. Journal of Interprofessional care, vol 40, no 2, 1996. Pecoraro RE, Reiber GE, Burgess EM. Pathways to diabetic limb amputation. Basis for prevention. Diabetes Care, 1990; 13(5): 513-21. Singh N, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA: Preventing foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. JAMA 293: 217-228, 2005. [online] Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15644549 [Accessed 02 June 2014]. Vowden Kathryn and Vowden Peter. Hand-held Doppler Ultrasound: The assessment of lower limb arterial and venous disease. Huntleigh Healthcare 2002. [online] Available at: www.huntleigh-diagnostics.com. [Accessed 21 June 2014]. Terranova A (1991). The effects of diabetes mellitus in wound healing. Plastic Surgical Nursing 11: 20-5. Whiteley MS, Fox AD and Horrocks M (1998). Photoplethysmography can replace hand-held Doppler in the measurement of ankle/brachial indices. Ann R Colll Surg Engl 80 (2): 96-98. Wu Stephanie C, Driver Vickie R, Wrobel James SandDavid G Armstrong David G. Foot ulcers in the diabetic patient, prevention and treatment. Vascular Health and Risk Management Feb 2007; 3(1): 65–76. Young MJ, McCardle JE, Randlall LE, et al. Improved survival of diabetic foot ulcer patint’s 1995-2008: possible impact of aggressive cardiovascular risk management. Diabetes Care 2008; 31: 2143-47. APPENDIX 1 – Procedure of performing ABPI by Huntleigh Healthcare 2002 Patient is reassured and procedure is explained. Make sure patient is in supine position, comfortable, relaxed with sufficient rest. †¢ An appropriate sized cuff is placed around the upper arm and the brachial systolic blood pressure is measured. †¢ The equipment and the arm should be at heart level. †¢ When the brachial pulse is felt, ultrasound contact gel is applied. †¢ The probe of the Doppler should be at an angle of 45 degree and is moved till the best signal is obtained. †¢ The cuff is inflated until the signal disappeared, then is deflated slowly so that the probe is not moved from the line of the artery and at the point where the signal returns, the pressure is recorded. †¢ The procedure is repeated in the other arm. †¢ The highest of the two values of systolic pressure is used for the ABPI calculation. †¢ The systolic pressure of the ankle is taken by placing an appropriate sized cuff around the ankle immediately above the malleoli. The equipment should be at heart level. If any ulcer is present, it should be protected with a plastic film. †¢ The dorsalis pedis pulse is felt and contact gel is applied. The cuff is inflated until the signal disappear, then is deflated slowly and ensure the probe is not moved from the line of the artery and at the point where the signal returns, the pressure is recorded. †¢ The procedure is repeated for the posterior tibial. †¢ The highest systolic pressure reading is used to calculate the ABPI for that leg. †¢ Same procedure is applied in the other leg. †¢ The ABPI is calculated for each leg using the formula below. ABPI = Highest systolic pressure recorded at the ankle of dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial for that leg divided by the highest systolic brachial pressure of right and left arm. APPENDIX 2 – Reading of ABPI by Huntleigh Healthcare 2002 ABPI > 1.0 to 1.4 is considered as normal ABPI ABPI > 0.5 and ABPI ABPI >1.4 indicates calcification Page 1

Day When Every Thing Went Wrong

It was a fine Saturday morning. I got up in haste. Quickly I got ready for my school. It was 7. 05 am and my mother shouted at me for not taking my breakfast properly. However I ran to my bus stop and to my utter misfortune the bus had already left. I was literally breathless. I couldn’t afford to go a single minute late in my maths examination. Again I ran to my house and luckily my brother was there to take me to my school. I thanked God for that and bidding goodbye to my mother we both went to school.On the way we saw huge mass gathering for there took place an accident. My brother stopped there for a while. I actually didn’t want him to go and inspect the matter. Rather I said him to take another route. He managed to take me by another way. Suddenly my eye fell on my watch and I saw there were fifteen more minutes for our examination to start. I just closed my eyes and prayed that I would be able to attend my examination properly. My brother asked me not to worry an d assured that we would reach school in just five minutes.He raised the pin of the speedometer to 80 . I took a deep breath of relaxation as I could see my school in front of my eyes. Then suddenly two dogs rushed to the middle of the road fighting strenuously. My brother failed to control the speed and ultimately one of the dogs came between the two wheels of our bike. Our bike got hashed on the wall. My head got banged on a stone. But still then I was uttering â€Å"my examination, my examination!! †My brother was bleeding profusely.But he managed to take a lift from a van. I got admitted in the Hospital and had facial paralysis for some time. Seriously if I had to remember the worst day of my life then it would be none other than 4th January 2010. I felt so bad that I couldn’t even express my feelings in words. The whole year I worked so hard and at the end I got promotion to the next class on the basis of a medical certificate. But I thanked God for keeping me and my brother safe.

Racial Discrimination Within the Gay Community Essay

My community is the most diverse of all. I am speaking of the gay community. Our community consists of people from every race, every religion, every gender, and every economic sector. We claim to be all-inclusive, embracing everyone despite our differences and celebrate our diversity with pride very openly. The issue of gay civil rights came to national attention on June 27, 1969. On that evening, police raided a small gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village called The Stonewall Inn, which sparked three days of rioting. The event is considered the single most important event that led to the modern movement for gay civil rights. The gay community’s perseverance has led to gay pride celebrations being held across the country. San Francisco is the considered the birthplace of pride celebrations, as a â€Å"gay-in† was held on June 27, 1970, to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Current pride celebrations often include themes such as inclusion and diversity, demonstrating the gay community’s beliefs that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of any differences. However, as Buchanan (2005) stated, â€Å"We claim to be the most maligned group in society, but when it comes to discrimination, some say that gays can give as good as we get† (Gays at receiving end of bias claim). The issue of racial discrimination in the gay community came to light when the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) issued their report on April 26, 2005 after an investigation of alleged discrimination at a popular bar in the Castro. The investigation was initiated by a group of citizens that claim the bar, SFBadlands, was practicing discriminatory acts in employment and patronage. I frequent the bar in question regularly and am personally acquainted with an African American who works there as a bartender. The group making the accusations, And Castro For All, alleged in a letter sent to the HRC June 22, 2004, that the owner of the bar implemented policies to discourage African Americans and women from patronizing the bar. The group also alleged that the bar owner practiced discriminatory hiring practices. Out of the forty-five employees of the bar at the time, only seven were â€Å"people of color† and none were women. The group requested the HRC investigate the bar owner and his business practices to determine if there were any â€Å"civil rights violations†. The group also requested the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to revoke the owners’ liquor license. Further allegations against the bar and it’s owner included unwarranted removal of African-American and other minority patrons from the bar, inferior service to minority customers and denial of entry of minority customers due to dress while white patrons dressed similarly were admitted. The commission found the bar and its owner discriminated against African-American job applicants and customers, however there was insufficient evidence to conclude any other wrongdoing. During the ongoing investigation, And Castro For All staged protests in front of the bar that caught media attention and sparked national conversation regarding the persistence of racism in the gay community (VanDeCarr, 2005). During these protests, the bar was busy as usual. The demonstrations, one of which was held during the Castro Street Fair, a popular street fair held every October, did little to diminish patrons to enter the bar. As I stood in line that day waiting to enter the bar, listening to the chant â€Å"Think before you drink† there was not much for me to think about. I had talked to the African-American bartender that I know about the allegations, and he responded that the allegations were false. The protests and demonstrations by And Castro For All have been compared to the civil rights and women’s movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The fight for gay marriage has also been compared to the civil rights movement. These comparisons have people of color raising an eyebrow, and have bred hostility where it should have sown solidarity. In Massachusetts shortly after gay marriage was legalized, Governor Matt Romney told city clerks they could enact a 1913 law forbidding out-of-state couples from marrying if their home states would not recognize the marriage. The law was written with the intention of barring interracial marriages. The Massachusetts Supreme Court made another equation when gay marriage was legalized. They referenced the historic cases that legalized interracial marriages to the case that led to the legalization of gay marriage by citing the difference as a single trait: skin color in the interracial cases, sexual orientation now. This â€Å"formula of gay = black has upset some Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people of color† says Hernandez (2005 Gaily ever after 11). During the 1990’s when the gay movement went mainstream, LGBT people of all colors claim it became a mouthpiece for wealthy gay men. The reason the comparison of gay marriage to the civil rights movement has raised indignation say some LGBT people of color is because it does not account for the racial and economic privileges white gays have. In not being able to marry, some say this is the first time that white gays are feeling the effects of discrimination. Further accusations of racial discrimination in San Francisco’s Castro district disrupted a meeting of the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro (MUMC) on March 3, 2005. The subject of racial discrimination came to a head when the President of MUMC was accused of paying obligatory attention to the growing concerns of racism in the Castro. White males own most businesses in the Castro, a fact that many do not realize. In attendance at the meeting were about 25 members, five of which were either non-white or female. Thanks to a neighborhood economic development program organized by the LGBT Center of San Francisco, a yoga studio opened in October of 2004, which is the first black-owned business in the area in a few years. So, what does the future of the Castro look like? According to Bevin Duffy, an openly gay man on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is hopeful. Speaking after a mediation agreement was signed between the owner of SF Badlands and the group An Castro For All, Duffy is quoted: ‘This has been a painful process but it has created a great deal of awareness of the distance we need to go to be a truly inclusive community†¦. I hope for all of us it is an opportunity to heal now and to move forward, with each of us individually committed to be open, welcoming and accepting to people in our community who may be different. ’ (Bajko, 2006, p. 2). Not everyone shares Mr. Duffy’s optimism. Gomez (2006) states â€Å"Thirty years from now maybe queer will have evolved from a fashion statement†¦and retained its original connotations: progressive, independent, empathetic, activist. Colored queers will still be making the noise of protest†¦Maybe by then we’ll believe we’re stronger together than apart† (Race: the growing chasm, 10). I think Gomez is wrong, at least when it comes to my neighborhood. I have hope for my neighborhood. The Castro has long been seen as â€Å"gay mecca† to LGBT people the world over, and hopefully the racial scar isn’t too deep. At least the actions of a few people have paved the way to change. Until we can resolve the inequalities in our own backyard, will we then be able to achieve equality with our straight allies, such as equal marriage rights. Once we become the kind of people we say we are, then we can become a racially diverse role model for the world.

Imperialism In The Spanish-American War - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 601 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Imperialism Essay Did you like this example? Since the United States have become their own country, it has gone through many changes in status. Before becoming a country, the United States was merely a series of territories belonging to multiple countries. When we began to advance in status, we learned that one key to success was a strategy called imperialism. Imperialism happens when a country uses its military and relationships with other countries to gain control of other territories. This system makes the power of the country rely on the territory that the country has obtained. In the late nineteenth century, the ways of imperialism were very popular in America because they wanted to expand their territory in order to become more powerful. In the late nineteenth century, Spain didnt have power over very much land. The only territories they had were Puerto Rico, Cuba, some islands in the Pacific, and a couple of small territories in Africa. They were wanting more territory, like the United States, and they were set on defending the territories they were already in rule over. They may have been so possessive because only years before, the Spanish territory was in power of much more land than it was at the time before the Spanish-American War. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Imperialism In The Spanish-American War" essay for you Create order The Spanish-American War was really sparked with the fight for the independence of Cuba. When they decided that they wanted independence, the Spanish decided that they needed to fight back because they did not want to lose one of the few territories that they still had ownership over. Cuba was very important to the Spanish Empire; it was so important that Spain gave the territory of Florida to Britain in order to keep control of Havana, Cubas capital. From this point on, a battle of territory ensued. The practice of imperialism in these two countries, or empires, if you will, has now begun a war. Before the war, the United States did not approve of the way the Spanish Empire was governing Cuba. The rule of Cuba became more absolutist, despite its state of being a colony. Even the inhabitants of Cuba who opposed independence in the beginning now began to seek reform, whether that be through independence or through being added to the United States. Major General ximo Gmez Baez was a leader of the Cuban revolution against Spain. The Cubans were revolting against their Spanish rule because the people of Cuba had suffered centuries of oppression, and by the early 1800s, they were forced to pay high taxes to their Spanish rulers. His troops had already been fighting Spain in the Ten Years War from October of 1868 to 1878, which was for their independence. The effort Cubas separation had failed, ending in a peace in which Spain promised Cuba some limited self-government. This deal was never fulfilled on Spains part. ximo mez Baez went to the United States to meet with Jos Mart ­, a Cuban revolutionary and activist who was exiled because of his passionate activism. These two ended up having very different ideas of how to get Cuba into its own, independent state. Connections like these are what gave Cuba American support in their fight for freedom. At this point, the United States were aware that they were not going to be able to buy Cuba from Spain and that Cuba was going to want to be a self-reliant country. The way that the United States was serving Cuba became more of a sympathetic relationship than a business deal. The U.S. remembered what it was like for themselves being under the rule of other empires and just wanting to provide for and rule themselves. Imperialism in the Spanish-American War - Free Essay Example Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 692 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Spanish American War Essay War Essay Did you like this example? Since the United States have become their own country, it has gone through many changes in status. Before becoming a country, the United States was merely a series of territories belonging to multiple countries. When we began to advance in status, we learned that one key to success was a strategy called imperialism. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Imperialism in the Spanish-American War" essay for you Create order Imperialism happens when a country uses its military and relationships with other countries to gain control of other territories. This system makes the power of the country rely on the territory that the country has obtained. In the late nineteenth century, the ways of imperialism were very popular in America because they wanted to expand their territory in order to become more powerful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the late nineteenth century, Spain didnt have power over very much land. The only territories they had were Puerto Rico, Cuba, some islands in the Pacific, and a couple of small territories in Africa. They were wanting more territory, like the United States, and they were set on defending the territories they were already in rule over. They may have been so possessive because only years before, the Spanish territory was in power of much more land than it was at the time before the Spanish-American War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Spanish-American War was really sparked with the fight for the independence of Cuba. When they decided that they wanted independence, the Spanish decided that they needed to fight back because they did not want to lose one of the few territories that they still had ownership over. Cuba was very important to the Spanish Empire; it was so important that Spain gave the territory of Florida to Britain in order to keep control of Havana, Cubas capital.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From this point on, a battle of territory ensued. The practice of imperialism in these two countries, or empires, if you will, has now begun a war. Before the war, the United States did not approve of the way the Spanish Empire was governing Cuba. The rule of Cuba became more absolutist, despite its state of being a colony. Even the inhabitants of Cuba who opposed independence in the beginning now began to seek reform, whether that be through independence or through being added to the United States. Major General Mà ¡ximo Gà ­?mez Baez was a leader of the Cuban revolution against Spain. The Cubans were revolting against their Spanish rule because the people of Cuba had suffered centuries of oppression, and by the early 1800s, they were forced to pay high taxes to their Spanish rulers.   His troops had already been fighting Spain in the Ten Years War from October of 1868 to 1878, which was for their independence. The effort Cubas separation had failed, ending in a peace in which Spain promised Cuba some limited self-government. This deal was never fulfilled on Spains part. Mà ¡ximo Gà ­?mez Baez went to the United States to meet with Josà © Martà ­Ã‚ ­, a Cuban revolutionary and activist who was exiled because of his passionate activism. These two ended up having very different ideas of how to get Cuba into its own, independent state. Connections like these are what gave Cuba American support in their fight for freedom. At this point, the United States were aware that they were not going to be able to buy Cuba from Spain and that   Cuba was going to want to be a self-reliant country. The way that the United States was serving Cuba became more of a sympathetic relationship than a business deal. The U.S. remembered what it was like for themselves being under the rule of other empires and just wanting to provide for and rule themselves. In addition to this, Cubans were also being put into concentration camps by leaders of their government, and this was completely unacceptable. Although all of these terrible things were happening to Cubans, the United States remained neutral between the Spaniards and the Cubans. The U.S. president at the time, William McKinley, just tried to influence Spain to end the violence in favor of Cuba. The Spaniards believed that they had the divine right, or right given by God, to any territory they could get possession of.