The Effect of Oral Chelators on Major Thalassemia Patients Life Quality

Year 2013, Volume: 14 Issue: 1, 17 - 21, 01.04.2013

Vedat Uygun Funda Tayfun Mediha Akcan Gülsün Tezcan Karasu Alphan Küpesiz Akif Yeşilipek

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: One of the most factor that decreases the quality of life of thalassemia major patients is the discomfort of long term subcutanous administration of deferoxamine. In this cross sectional study, we analyzed the effect of oral chelator usage on quality of life of beta thalassemia major patients who are 8-18 years old school children. MATERIALS and METHODS: We have studied 32 thalassemia major patients who were under observation for at least one year at the same center. Deferiprone and deferasirox were used in a dose of 40-75 mg/kg/d thrice daily and 10-40 mg/kg/d once daily in the morning, respectively. For the quality of life assessments, PedsQL was used separately for patients and their parents. The statistical analyses were processed for comparing the two groups´ quantitative variables by using the Student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Statistically significant meant a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: We determined that oral chelator usage did not effect the overall score of quality of life assessment according to the self reports of children, however according to the parents, the patients using deferasirox had significantly better quality of life than the patients using deferiprone (p=0.019). Higher frequency of transfusion decreased the quality of life scores, however it was not significant. CONCLUSION: Because of the major effect of lifelong treatment to quality of life of thalassemia major, there should be lower frequency of hospital visits and treatments. We determined that children using deferasirox, which has a lower frequency of dosage, has higher quality of life than deferiprone users.

Keywords

Quality of life, thalassemia major, chelator

References

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• Uzm. Dr. Vedat UYGUN
• Akdeniz Üniversitesi Týp Fakültesi, Çocuk
• Hematoloji-Onkoloji, ANTALYA, TÜRKÝYE E-Posta
• : [e-mail] Geliþ Tarihi Kabul Tarihi : 01.04.2013