Continuing Education Episode!
Continuing Education!

Thalassemia may be too easy to overlook for those in the U.S., but it is an enormous global problem!

Dr. Sujit Sheth

When most United States-based healthcare providers think of a hemoglobinopathy, sickle cell disease is the first to come to mind. That is understandable, given how frequently that disease is present in the US. However, worldwide, the various forms of thalassemia are a MASSIVE problem.

How Bad is It?

Dr. Sujit Sheth, director of the New York Comprehensive Thalassemia Center in New York City, reports that “1.5% of the Earth’s population of humans carries a thalassemia mutation, at least one. That makes 80 to 90 million people!” Thalassemia differs from sickle cell disease in many ways, but both are a major international cause or morbidity and (sadly) mortality). It is essential that those involved in transfusion of this global disease understand the basic pathophysiology of thalassemia, as well as details surrounding care of those patients who become transfusion-dependent.

Expert Guidance

In this interview, Dr. Sheth describes what you need to know about thalassemia. He takes special care to help us understand what those caring for patients with thalassemia are targeting when they are making transfusion decisions. The more those of us involved in providing transfusions know about this potentially devastating disease, the more we can help.

Dr. Sujit Sheth

When most United States-based healthcare providers think of a hemoglobinopathy, sickle cell disease is the first to come to mind. That is understandable, given how frequently that disease is present in the US. However, worldwide, the various forms of thalassemia are a MASSIVE problem.

How Bad is It?

Dr. Sujit Sheth, director of the New York Comprehensive Thalassemia Center in New York City, reports that “1.5% of the Earth’s population of humans carries a thalassemia mutation, at least one. That makes 80 to 90 million people!” Thalassemia differs from sickle cell disease in many ways, but both are a major international cause or morbidity and (sadly) mortality). It is essential that those involved in transfusion of this global disease understand the basic pathophysiology of thalassemia, as well as details surrounding care of those patients who become transfusion-dependent.

Expert Guidance

In this interview, Dr. Sheth describes what you need to know about thalassemia. He takes special care to help us understand what those caring for patients with thalassemia are targeting when they are making transfusion decisions. The more those of us involved in providing transfusions know about this potentially devastating disease, the more we can help.

About My Guest:

Sujit Sheth, MD is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. He was trained in India, both at the University of Bombay and the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Bombay (now Mumbai). Dr. Sheth has long been passionate about the care of patients with hematologic disorders, especially those requiring transfusion therapy. He is the Director of the New York Comprehensive Thalassemia Center of Weill-Cornell Medicine, one of the largest comprehensive thalassemia programs in the United States.

FREE Continuing Education!

This podcast episode offers a FREE continuing education activity where you can earn two different types of credit: 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM, or 1 ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Contact Hour (including Florida Clinical Laboratory Credit). This activity also may be used to fulfill Lifelong Learning Continuing Certification requirements for the American Board of Pathology.

To receive credit and review the accreditation information and related disclosures, please visit Transfusion News Continuing Education on Wiley Health Learning.

Please note: The continuing education credit is available for two years from the date this episode was released; in other words, you will no longer be able to get credit for this episode after March 2, 2024.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this episode are those of my guest and I alone, and do not reflect those of the organizations with which either of us is affiliated. Neither Dr. Sheth nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.

The images below are generously provided by Dr. Sujit Sheth.

Slide 1 - Normal erythropoiesis
Slide 2 - Ineffective erythropoiesis; note expansion of early precursors
Slide 3 - Problems when erythropoiesis is ineffective
Slide 4 - Myriad of clinical features of thalassemia
Slide 5 - Geographic distribution of β-thalassemia
Slide 6 - List of genotypes in thalassemia with associated phenotypes and clinical features

Thanks to:

Music Credit

Music for this episode includes “Cuando te invade el temor” and “Reflejo,” both by Mar Virtual via the Free Music Archive. Click the image below for permissions and license details.
Creative Commons license and link

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