BACKGROUND Management of thalassemia major requires patients to have life-long access to a treatment regimen of regular blood transfusions coupled with iron chelation therapy. The objective of this study was to investigate patients' reasons for missing iron chelation therapy with desferrioxamine, and the support to sustain life-long adherence to treatment. METHODS From October 1999 to May 200...

1The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea; 2Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; 3Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai, China; 4Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany; 5Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, NJ; 7Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland; and 8University College ...

In the absence of an iron chelating agent, patients with beta-thalassemia on regular transfusions present complications of transfusion-related iron overload. Without iron chelation therapy, heart disease is the major cause of death; however, hepatic and endocrine complications also occur. Currently there are three iron chelating agents available for continuous use in patients with thalassemia o...

Despite receiving no or only occasional blood transfusions, patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) have increased intestinal iron absorption and can accumulate iron to levels comparable with transfusion-dependent patients. This iron accumulation occurs more slowly in NTDT patients compared to transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients, and complications do not arise until la...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy and adverse effects of oral chelation therapy (deferasirox) in multi-transfused β-thalassemia major patients visiting pediatric thalassemia clinic in Civil Hospital Karachi. METHODS This prospective study was conducted at pediatric thalassemia clinic of Civil Hospital Karachi. Hundred multi-transfused β-thalassemia patients registered in the clinic for oral...

Whereas RBC transfusion therapy is lifesaving in thalassemia, obligatory iron loading accompanies such treatment and chelation therapy to remove and detoxify iron resulting from these chronic transfusions must therefore be administered. Morbidity and mortality in thalassemia is linked closely to the adequacy of chelation. Three chelators are currently available worldwide-deferoxamine, deferasir...