title: Long-term administration of high-dose deferoxamine 2 days per week in thalassemic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compliance with parenteral administration of deferoxamine is often poor in thalassemic patients with iron overload. We tested the efficacy and tolerance of the drug at high dosage 2 d per week for 24 months in two adult thalassemic patients with permanently high serum ferritin using a portable pump and an implanted chamber.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deferoxamine was administered using a pressure-operated portable pump through an implanted chamber. The patients were infused over 48 h every week with 198 mg/kg/d (patient 1) and 170 mg/kg/d (patient 2). Serum ferritin levels were measured at regular intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum ferritin decreased progressively from 2967 to 457 microg/L in patient 1 and from 6476 to 1951 microg/L in patient 2. Compliance and tolerance to treatment were excellent in the two patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous administration of high-dose deferoxamine over 48 h per week using a portable pump and implanted chamber improved compliance in two thalassemic adult patients, resulting in a significant decrease in iron overload. We suggest that high-dose chelation therapy should be assessed in selected groups of iron-overload thalassemic patients receiving regular blood transfusions.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital de Jour de Médecine, Pharmacie, and Laboratore d' Hématologie, Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hagège
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerdaffrec
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanfer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Girot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015913:Chelation Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D007501:Iron; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000628:therapy*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine