Monitoring ICT


Assessment of IOL and common adverse events of ICT. Ideal assessments are listed and mandatory assessments bolded.
Observation Frequency IOL assessment AE monitoring
Iron intake rate Each transfusion  
Chelation dose and frequency 3 monthly
Renal functiona As frequently as required  
Liver function 3 monthly
Sequential serum ferritin, transferrin saturationb 3 monthly  
GTT, thyroid, calcium metabolism (BMDc) Yearly in adults  
Liver iron (T2* MRI)d At baseline where feasible and subsequently as clinically indicated  
Cardiac function (echo, MRI, ecg) At baseline then as clinically indicated  
Cardiac iron (T2* MRI) For patients receiving >50U RBC prior to ICT, or with CHF or arrythmias  
Slit lamp examination, audiometry Yearly  
AE, adverse event; BMD, bone mineral density; CHF, congestive heart failure; ecg, electrocardiogram; echo, echocardiogram; GTT, glucose tolerance test; ICT, iron chelation therapy; IOL, iron overload; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; RBC, red blood cells; U, units
acreatinine should be measured at least every two weeks with each dose increase until stable btransferrin saturation >80% may indicate the presence of oxidative stress (reference [1]) cbased on early/suggestive data in transfusion dependent hemoglobinopathies (reference [2]) dup to 25% of hepatic IOL is underestimated by serum ferritin level (reference [3]) Reprinted from Leitch HA. 2014 Canadian Perspectives in Clinical Hematology; 2:4-10, with permission and from Leitch HA, et al; Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2017 May;113:156-170 with permission.

References: 1. Sahlstedt L, et al. Br J Hematol. 2001;113:836-838. 2. Ezzat H, et al. Blood. 2012;120, abstract 3203. 3. Nolte F, et al. Ann. Hematol. 2013;92:191-198.