Clinical profile of transfusion-dependent thalassemia major children with reference to serum ferritin and liver function: A prospective observational study
Keywords:
Serum ferritin; Liver function; Growth pattern; Iron overload; Blood transfusions; Pediatric populationAbstract
Background: Thalassemia major is a genetic disorder characterized by severe anemia and the need for lifelong blood transfusions.
Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical profile of transfusion-dependent thalassemia major children with reference to serum ferritin levels and liver function.
Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study included 100 children aged 1–12 years with beta-thalassemia major, who were receiving blood transfusions. Clinical data, including growth parameters, serum ferritin levels, and liver function tests, were collected. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed.
Results: The study population predominantly consisted of children aged 1–5 years (54%) and males (51%). Hindu children accounted for 85% of the participants. Most children were diagnosed with thalassemia major before the age of 1 year (84%) and were diagnosed through Hb electrophoresis (77%). The majority of children received blood transfusions every 15–30 days (49%). Pre-transfusion hemoglobin levels ranged from <5 g/dL to 8.0 g/dL, while post-transfusion levels ranged from 7.1 g/dL to 10.1 g/dL. Liver function tests indicated the mean values for total serum bilirubin (0.81±0.2), direct bilirubin (0.34±0.10), indirect bilirubin (0.49±0.10), aspartate transaminase (47.22±11.06), alanine transaminase (45.45±8.97), alkaline phosphatase (97.74±4.39), total proteins (6.28±0.29), and serum albumin (3.72±0.2). No significant changes were observed in growth parameters over the 18-month study period.
Conclusion: This study provides insights into the clinical profile of children with transfusion-dependent thalassemia major, emphasizing the significance of early diagnosis, regular transfusions, and monitoring of serum ferritin levels and liver function.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- The journal holds copyright and publishes the work under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license that permits use, distribution and reprduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. The journal should be recognised as the original publisher of this work.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
