High Serum Ferritin Levels among Blood Transfused Thalassemic Patients Admitted to the Department of Paediatrics in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

  • Damodar Tiwari Department of Pediatrics, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal
  • Sweta kumari Gupta Department of Pediatrics, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal
  • Narayan Bahadur Thapa Department of Pediatrics, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal
  • Kiran Devkota Department of Pediatrics, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.8195

Keywords:

blood transfusion; ferritin; thalassemia.

Abstract

Introduction: Raised serum ferritin levels often indicate iron overload, but they are not specific as the levels are elevated in inflammatory disorders, liver diseases, alcohol excess, or malignancy. If regular transfusions are required for the patient with thalassemia, this doubles the rate of iron accumulation leading to earlier massive iron overload and iron-related damage. The aim of this study aimed to find out the prevalence of high serum ferritin levels among blood-transfused thalassemic patients admitted to the Department of Paediatrics in a tertiary care centre.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre from 1 March 2022 to 31 December 2022. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 078/79-017/HG). Children who were confirmed by haemoglobin electrophoresis on regular blood transfusion were included in the study. Those who did not gave consent were excluded from the study. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 90% Confidence Interval were calculated.

Results: Out of 53 cases, the prevalence of high serum ferritin level was seen in 46 (88.79%) (80.30-97.28, 95% Confidence Interval). Among 46, 34 (73.91%) had serum ferritin levels of more than 1000 to 2500 ng/ml whereas 12 (26.09%) had more than 25000 ng/ml.

Conclusions: The prevalence of high serum ferritin levels among blood transfused thalassemic patients admitted to the Department of Paediatrics in a tertiary care centre was found to be higher than in other studies done in similar settings.

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Published

2023-06-01

How to Cite

Tiwari, D., Gupta, S. kumari, Thapa, N. B., & Devkota, K. (2023). High Serum Ferritin Levels among Blood Transfused Thalassemic Patients Admitted to the Department of Paediatrics in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 61(262), 543–545. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.8195

Issue

Vol. 61 No. 262 (2023): JNMA: Published Monthly

Section

Original Article

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Copyright (c) 2023 Damodar Tiwari, Sweta kumari Gupta, Narayan Bahadur Thapa, Kiran Devkota

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