What is Thalassemia?
Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. Thalassemia is a treatable disorder that can be well-managed with blood transfusions and chelation therapy.1
Symptoms
The symptoms for the different types of thalassemia vary but may be an indication of the severity of the condition. Some symptoms are:2
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- A fast heart beat
- Headache
- Leg cramps
- Difficulty concentrating
- Pale skin
Please always consult healthcare professional for advice on thalassemia.
Causes
Thalassaemia is caused by faulty genes that a child inherits from their parents.
It's not caused by anything the parents did before or during the pregnancy, and you cannot catch it from someone who has it.3
Treatment of thalassemia
Thalassemia usually requires lifelong treatment with blood transfusions and medicine. Chelation therapy is used for treatment to remove excess iron caused by regular blood transfusions. It’s very important because high levels of iron in the body can damage organs4.
One of the medications used to remove excess iron is deferoxamine mesylate. This medication is administered by subcutaneous infusion using an infusion pump and an infusion set which connects the pump device to the body.
In general, the treatment of thalassemia should always be based on a healthcare professional’s assessment of an individual patient’s situation.
Our Neria™ infusion sets
Neria™ Guard and Neria™ infusion sets are tested for use with deferoxamine mesylate for treatment of thalassemia.
The choice of medication and method of administration relies on the assessment of the healthcare professionals.
How to use the Neria™ Guard infusion set
Watch our instruction video and quickly learn how to use the Neria™ Guard infusion set.
1. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov. Reviewed February 1, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2024. Learn More About Thalassemia | CDC
2. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov. Reviewed April 27, 2023. Accessed February 15, 2024. Thalassemia: Complications and Treatment | CDC
3. National Health Service (NHS): nhs.uk. Reviewed October 17, 2022. Accessed February 22, 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/thalassaemia/causes/
4.National Health Service (NHS): nhs.uk. Reviewed October 17, 2022. Accessed February 22, 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/thalassaemia/treatment/
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