Prevalence of cardiac dysfunction among thalassaemic patients in Babylon governorate

Abstract EN

A prospective study was conducted on 216 patients with thalassaemia classified as 135 patients with p-thalassaemia major, 57 patients with thalassaemia intermedia and 24 patients with sickle cell/ thalassaemia, who were attending the thalassaemia center at Babylon Maternity and Children Hospital, from period of August 2003 to April 2004.

Their age ranged from (1 - 30) years with a mean of 11.28 years.

They were studied for cardiac dysfunction, 39 patients (18%) were found to have cardiac abnormality classified as (43.7%) as asymptomatic patients, (33.3%) as asymptomatic heart failure, and (23%) as asymptomatic heart failure.

Risk factors for cardiac dysfunction were: 1.

Age older than 10 years.

2.

Frequent blood transfusion more than 120 times.

3.

Serum ferritin more than 1800 - 2000 ng/L.