What is iron overload and chelation therapy?
Iron is inside the red blood cells and helps to carry oxygen inside the chemical hemoglobin. Iron is reused by the body and can accumulate when blood transfusions are given. Usually after 1 to 3 years of chronic transfusions, the iron in the transfused blood is kept in the body and builds to levels that can be harmful. Chelation therapy is a procedure of giving medication that binds to the iron in the body and allows the body pass it out in the urine. This medicine, called Desferal, must be given slowly with a pump through a small needle under the skin or through a port. Do the STOP trial results apply to my clinical practice or to my child? Probably yes, but generalizing the STOP trial results to clinical practice appears to have 3 cautions 1) early closure of the STOP trial limits the data on long-term risks and benefits in the two groups 2) further TCD screening needs to be comparable to STOP trial TCD equipment and procedure 3) transfusion decision should be made in consultation wi
