Long-Term Follow-Up among Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia Pediatric Patients: A Report from Phaholpolpayuhasena Hospital
Keywords:
iron overload management, long-term follow-up, children, thalassemia, complicationsAbstract
Objectives: To investigate the incidence of long-term complications in pediatric patients with transfusion–dependent thalassemia treated at Phaholpolpayuhasena Hospital
Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted among pediatric patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia treated at Phaholpolpayuhasena Hospital between January 2020 and June 2024, involving 68 patients with follow-up periods ranging from 1 year to 4 years. Data were collected from medical records and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: The mean age of patients receiving last services was 9.0±3.5 years. The most common disease type was β–thalassemia/Hemoglobin E disease (85.3%). Most patients received blood transfusions every 3-4 weeks (82.3%). Iron overload was the most frequently detected complication (97.1%), with all patients receiving iron chelation therapy. Other complications found included abnormal liver function (25.0%), abnormal electrocardiogram (12.0%), and developmental problems (4.5%). No transfusion-transmitted infections were detected. Patients showed improved growth after treatment, with the percentage of underweight patients decreasing from 20.6% to 14.7%.
Conclusions: Pediatric transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients at Phaholpolpayuhasena hospital received treatment following the national standard guidelines for pediatric thalassemia care in Thailand. The treatment for iron overload was appropriate, low incidence of severe complications, and improvement in growth parameters.
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