Abdul Rehman, Mukhtar Ahmad, Muhammad Amin Sheikh, Ali Raza, Hafiz Muhammad Umair, Amir Hanif, Tajahid Ilyas, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Awais Iqbal.
Serum ferritin levels in patients with transfusion dependent beta thalassemia.
Pak Paed J Jan ;35(4):201-4.

Objective: To assess the serum ferritin level in patients with transfusion dependent beta thalassemia. Design: Cross sectional study. Setting and Duration of the Study: Thalassemia Center, Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur from January 2010 to July 2010. Methods and Material: Patients with age more than 35 months having transfusion dependent thalassemia were included. Clinical details of patients were recorded on a proforma, taking into account the age at the time of diagnosis and the age, weight and number of transfusions given at the time of getting sample for serum ferritin. Any history of use of chelation therapy was also obtained. The patient’s blood sample was collected for serum ferritin, hepatitis B and C status and alanine aminotransferase level. Results: Sixty nine with blood transfusion dependent patients were included. There were 62.3% males. 4.35% patients were on irregular chelation therapy while the rest did not get any therapy. The mean serum ferritin level was 4517.71±3583.85 ng/ml. 98.55% patients were having serum ferritin level >1000ng/l. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 12.17 months. The mean age, weight, number of transfusions given and mean serum ALT at the time of getting sample for serum ferritin were 120.52 months, 24.96 Kg, 59.27 and 80.35 IU/l respectively. These values did not show any statistically significant difference between two sexes. Conclusion: Transfusion dependent beta thalassemia patients in our set up need promot iron chelation therapy.

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