EFFECTIVENESS OF HYDROXYUREA THERAPY IN PATIENT WITH HEMOGLOBINOPATHIES IN HEREDITARY BLOOD DISEASE CENTER ATKARBALA TEACHING HOSPITAL.

Background:- Hydroxyurea is an antimetabolite drug increase fetal hemoglobin level and reduce the symptoms of sickle cell disease. Aim:- To identify the effect of hydroxyurea in cases with frequent painful crisis or frequent blood transfusions of sickle cell disease and non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT) in hereditary blood disease center of Karbala teaching hospital from June 2010 till December 2015. Method:- An eighty three cases conducted in our case control study .From which forty two cases received hydroxyurea in dose 10 -20 mg /kg/day orally and their follow up every two weeks in the first three months by taking blood samples for investigation (Hb, WBC, platelet count and renal function) with assessment of adverse effects.After that patient investigated according to their routine visit.The remaining forty one patient who refused drug therapy considered as a control group. Result:- The frequency of the painful crisis in our case group after receiving hydroxyurea was mainly more than 13 weeks (40.5%) in P value 0.0001. The frequency of blood transfusion of cases receiving hydroxyurea was mainly no transfusion (69%) in P value 0.025. There was no side effect in 79% of cases received hydroxyurea.The remaining 21% of cases had mainly nonspecific side effects. Conclusion:- In patient with hemoglobinopathies who had frequent painful crisis, Hydroxyurea therapy significantly decreases the frequency of the painful crisis,blood transfusion requirement with few adverse effects.