Abstract

Dr. Fatima Hafeez, Dr. Simra Zainab Khan and Dr. Aiman Nadeem*

ABSTRACT

Background: Beta-thalassemia is one amongst the common genetic disorders in our country. Therefore, it's consider necessary to review and probe it to cover all aspects of this disorder. Cooley's anemia is one amongst the foremost common genetic disorders in Pakistan and over 5000 new patients have added within the pool annually. This familial sickness has each medical and social implications, and thus there's a need to assess the magnitude of ?-Thalassemia trait amongst members of the family of thalassemia major patients. Objectives: the target of the study was to seek out the distribution of ?-thalassemia in several age groups, prevalence of transfusion connected microorganism infections and serum ferritin levels. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study done at Nishtar Hospital Multan. Peripheral blood smears were studied for abnormal red blood cell morphology findings of microcytosis, hypochromia, tear drops, target cells and RBC indices i.e. haemoglobin, MCH, MCV, MCHC and Hb electrophoresis was done. All cases of thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia were included in the study. Patients who were voluntarily participated were divided into three different age groups, i.e. 0-5 years, 5-10 years, and 11 years and above. All patients were screened for HCV, HBV, and HIV. Some of the cases were tested for serum ferritin levels. Results: We studied 250 cases, out of which 58% (145) were male and 42% (105) were female. Male to female ratio was 1.38:1. After doing getting detail history, examination and lab results we found that 235 (94%) patients were having thalassemia major and 6% (15) with thalassemia intermedia. 196 cases were from rural areas and 65 from urban areas. After studying viral markers we found that 45 cases were positive for anti-HCV antibody and 10 cases positive for HBsAg. The means of serum ferritin levels in thalassemia major (2564) and thalassemia intermedia cases (1674). Conclusion: Majority of patients were suffering from ?-thalassemia major, because we selected cases having clinical sign and symptoms of disease and thalassemia intermedia patients may present normal and was missed during selection. Patients suffering from ?-thalassemia major were mostly male, while in thalassemia intermedia sex distribution was almost equal. The overall prevalence of ?-Thalassemia in rural areas was high. 18% of ?-thalassemia patients were positive for anti-HCV antibody. There was significant difference in means of ferritin levels of thalassemia major and of thalassemia intermedia patients.