<![CDATA[Background The life of patients with thalassemia major dependson blood transfusions, while repeated blood transfusions may causeadverse effects such as iron deposition in various organs, includ-ing heart and lungs, which eventually increases the pulmonaryarterial pressure.Objective This study was proposed to know the occurrence ofpulmonary hypertension in patients with thalassemia major, mea-sured by echocardiography in the Thalassemia Clinic, Departmentof Child Health, Medical School, Padjadjaran University/HasanSadikin Hospital, Bandung.Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried outon 30 patients with thalassemia major, aged 10-14 year-old whoreceived repeated blood transfusions. The study was conductedfrom April to May 2002. Subjects were examined right after ablood transfusion completed and the pulmonary arterial pres-sure was assessed using Doppler–echocardiography and 2-Dechocardiography.Results Twenty two out of 30 subjects showed pulmonary hyper-tension, with pulmonary arterial pressure ranged between 32.3 to46.2 mmHg. According to the age group, pulmonary hypertensionwas found in 12 out of 17 subjects aged 10-12 years old and 10out of 13 subjects aged 13-14 years old.Conclusion The occurrence of pulmonary hypertension in patientswith thalassemia major at Hasan Sadikin Hospital was 22/30 andseemed to increase with the age of the patients]]>
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