Contraindicated Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Contraindicated and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Quantitative Phlebotomy An alternative to liver biopsy as a means of documenting iron overload may be provided by quantitative phlebotomy performed during treatment (See next section.) The removal of 4 to 5 grams of iron through documented successive phlebotomies (16 to 20 phleblotomies) without development of anemia is indicative of iron overload. (One unit, or 450 mL, of blood is assumed to contain approximately 200 to 250 mg of iron.) Quantitative phlebotomy is useful in patients for whom liver biopsy is contraindicated, refused, or not needed for other reasons. | View Page |
| Other Treatments Deferoxamine (DFO), an iron chelating agent, may be used to reduce iron overload in patients for whom phlebotomy is contraindicated or not well tolerated. Examples include patients with sickle cell disease or thalassemia whose anemia would be exacerbated by phlebotomies. DFO is seldom used to treat hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) due to the low cost and efficacy of phlebotomy therapy. DFO is typically administered by intravenous or subcutaneous infusion.Patients with HH may be counseled to avoid alcohol use in order to avoid liver damage. With the exception of iron supplements, dietary restrictions on iron ingestion are rarely advised. | View Page |