Question

A child with B-thalassemia is receiving numerous blood transfusions. In addition, the child is receiving deferoxamine therapy. The child's parents ask the nurse what deferoxamine does. What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?

Answer 1

Deferoxamine is used to chelate and remove excess iron from the body in patients with ß-thalassemia, who have iron overload due to repeated blood transfusions and increased iron absorption.

Step-by-step explanation:

Deferoxamine is a medication used to remove excess iron from the body, which can accumulate as a result of repeated blood transfusions in patients with ß-thalassemia. This condition causes an imbalance in globin chains that form hemoglobin, the molecule responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells (RBCs). The excess α-globin chains in ß-thalassemia can form abnormal hemoglobin, like HbA2 and HbF, and the ineffective RBCs are destroyed rapidly, leading to severe anemia and high levels of iron in the body. The iron overload is due to the body's attempt to compensate for the anemia by absorbing more iron from the diet and from the breakdown of the abundant, ineffective RBCs. The use of deferoxamine helps to chelate the iron, allowing it to be excreted from the body and preventing iron-induced damage to organs.