The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

Patient compliance with phlebotomy therapy for iron overload associated with hemochromatosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate patient compliance with phlebotomy therapy of hemochromatosis-associated iron overload. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of white adults with hemochromatosis and iron overload diagnosed during medical care. We defined three elements of compliance: 1) achieving iron depletion (serum ferritin </= 20 ng/ml); 2) timeliness of phlebotomies on a weekly or biweekly schedule to achieve iron depletion; and 3) participation in therapy to maintain serum ferritin </= 50 ng/ml. We evaluated associations of timeliness of phlebotomy and participation in maintenance therapy with these variables: age at diagnosis, sex, pretreatment serum ferritin concentration, HFE genotype, units of blood removed to achieve iron depletion, and presence or absence of cirrhosis at diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients were evaluable for iron depletion and 142 for maintenance therapy; 96.6% achieved iron depletion, and 33.1% and 43.2% followed weekly and biweekly schedules, respectively. Timeliness was not significantly associated with the variables we evaluated. In the first year of maintenance therapy, 84.0% of patients complied; the percentage of C282Y homozygotes complying was significantly greater than that of other patients. Average compliance with maintenance therapy decreased 6.8% annually; the mean follow-up after achieving iron depletion was 4.1 +/- 2.8 yr (range 0.6-9.7 yr). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with hemochromatosis diagnosed in medical care achieve iron depletion with phlebotomy; one-third tolerate and adhere to weekly phlebotomy. There is a constant rate of decline in the percentage of patients who comply with maintenance therapy.[1]

References

  1. Patient compliance with phlebotomy therapy for iron overload associated with hemochromatosis. Hicken, B.L., Tucker, D.C., Barton, J.C. Am. J. Gastroenterol. (2003) [Pubmed]
 
WikiGenes - Universities