Characteristics and Frequency of Hepatitis C among Children With Β-Thalassemia Visiting Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Aim: To find the characteristics and frequency of hepatitis C among children with β-Thalassemia. Methodology: It was a cross sectional type of study conducted in tertiary care hospital of Bahawalpur for a period of 6 months from from January 2021 to June 2021. Sample size was 51 patients. Patients suffering from β-Thalassemia and were undergoing blood transfusions in large amounts were included. Results: β-Thalassemia is more common in Males (67%) than females (33%) with most of the cases detected in the patients who were living in rural areas (61%). Moreover, with the increase in number of transfusions the threat of HCV increases. Conclusion: Blood transfusion is a lifesaving intervention. There is a need to pay an immediate attention towards the bio safety practice in both the public and private sector blood banks. There must be strict rules and regulations for safe blood transfusions in Pakistan. Keywords: Thalassemia; HCV; Blood transfusion; HB electrophoresis

Correlation between hepatomegaly and transfusion frequency in thalassemia patients: A cross-sectional study.

“…In 12 , who also reported a higher prevalence of thalassemia in males among their sample population. Additionally, Biswas et al 11 and Abbas H et al 12 also reported a higher prevalence of thalassemia among rural population as compared to urban, which is also consistent with the findings of the current study.…”