Regular Blood Transfusions

Treatment for Beta Thalassaemia Major involves you having regular blood transfusions, which take place every six to eight weeks, depending on the severity of the anaemia. Excess iron builds up in your body from these regular transfusions. This is called iron overload. If this is left untreated, iron will build up in our body, leading to a condition called haemosiderosis. This can cause serious long-term damage such as heart and liver failure.

Iron overload is kept under control by treatment with a medicine called desferrioxamine, to achieve a more normal level of iron in the body.

   

   

Desferal® (Desferrioxamine methane sulphonate)

Desferal works by binding (the chemical term is 'chelating') with the iron in your blood and the chelated iron is then removed by the kidneys (excretion) from the body. Desferal has to be given by injection, usually by a slow injection under the skin via a small device or pump over eight to twelve hours. You may be taught how to do this yourself at home. The amount of Desferal and how often it is given depend on how much iron you have in your body i.e. the amount of iron overload.

As you will be receiving this medicine regularly (often daily), it can become tiresome for you or your carer. So it is important to understand why Desferal doses should not be missed. Sticking to Desferal treatment routines helps protect against serious complications in later life, such as diabetes and heart disease. There are also more immediate benefits such as prevention of nausea and sickness caused by iron overload.

1. Preparing the syringe	2. Injecting the Desferal
3. Looking for a spot	4. Injecting the needle in the skin
5. This is done every night	6. It will take at least 6 to 7 hours