Safety of oral iron chelator deferiprone in young thalassaemics.
Deferiprone is now widely used for iron chelation in patients with thalassaemia. Studies on its efficacy and safety have largely included older children and adults.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety of deferiprone in children <6 yr of age.


METHODS
The study is based on scrutiny of follow-up data of 44 patients of age <6 yr receiving deferiprone for a variable period of time. Occurrence of various side effects including gastrointestinal, osteoarticular were noticed and complete blood counts were performed every 2-4 wk.


RESULTS
Nausea and vomiting were noticed in 12 (27.2%), joint symptoms were reported by four (9.1%) and neutropenia was observed in only two patients (4.5%). None of the patient had agranulocytosis. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 20 patients (45.45%), which occurred 3 months to 1 yr after deferiprone therapy. Interruption of deferiprone for 2-4 wk led to reversal of symptoms in all but two patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Thrombocytopenia is one of the major side effects in young thalassaemics and necessitates frequent close monitoring of blood counts but its resolution after discontinuation and absence of clinical evidence of bleeding does not preclude its use.
Naithani
Rahul
R
Division of Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India. dr_raul6@hotmail.com
Chandra
Jagdish
J
Sharma
Sharad
S
D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000077543:Deferiprone; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D011728:Pyridones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D011728:Pyridones; D000077543:Deferiprone