Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis

© The Royal Australian College of General practitioners 2015. Background Therapeutic venesection is an established treatment for hereditary haemochromatosis. The C282Y homozygotes and C282Y/H63D compound heterozygotes are the most likely human haemochromatosis protein (HFE) variants to cause iron ov...

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Main Authors: Bentley, P., Bell, B., Olynyk, John
Format: Journal Article
Published: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2015
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35544
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author Bentley, P.
Bell, B.
Olynyk, John
author_facet Bentley, P.
Bell, B.
Olynyk, John
author_sort Bentley, P.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © The Royal Australian College of General practitioners 2015. Background Therapeutic venesection is an established treatment for hereditary haemochromatosis. The C282Y homozygotes and C282Y/H63D compound heterozygotes are the most likely human haemochromatosis protein (HFE) variants to cause iron overload. The principal indications for treatment include iron overload, which is detected through measurement of hepatic iron concentration or a liver biopsy, or suspected iron-overload on the basis of elevated serum ferritin levels. Venesection is not indicated for other HFE genetic variants or in patients with isolated hyperferritinaemia in the absence of the main HFE gene mutations. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service provides a therapeutic venesection program. Since January 2013, referral has been conducted electronically using the novel, web-based High Ferritin Application. Objectives The aim of this article is to provide information regarding implementation of the High Ferritin Application and document its impact on referral patterns. Discussion This referral process is based on nationally endorsed, evidencebased algorithms, which have markedly reduced the number of unnecessary therapeutic venesections. An estimated 4000 unnecessary venesections are averted each year and this equates to a saving of $1.4 million.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-355442017-01-30T13:50:19Z Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis Bentley, P. Bell, B. Olynyk, John © The Royal Australian College of General practitioners 2015. Background Therapeutic venesection is an established treatment for hereditary haemochromatosis. The C282Y homozygotes and C282Y/H63D compound heterozygotes are the most likely human haemochromatosis protein (HFE) variants to cause iron overload. The principal indications for treatment include iron overload, which is detected through measurement of hepatic iron concentration or a liver biopsy, or suspected iron-overload on the basis of elevated serum ferritin levels. Venesection is not indicated for other HFE genetic variants or in patients with isolated hyperferritinaemia in the absence of the main HFE gene mutations. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service provides a therapeutic venesection program. Since January 2013, referral has been conducted electronically using the novel, web-based High Ferritin Application. Objectives The aim of this article is to provide information regarding implementation of the High Ferritin Application and document its impact on referral patterns. Discussion This referral process is based on nationally endorsed, evidencebased algorithms, which have markedly reduced the number of unnecessary therapeutic venesections. An estimated 4000 unnecessary venesections are averted each year and this equates to a saving of $1.4 million. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35544 Royal Australian College of General Practitioners restricted
spellingShingle Bentley, P.
Bell, B.
Olynyk, John
Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
title Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
title_full Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
title_fullStr Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
title_full_unstemmed Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
title_short Therapeutic venesection at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service: Impact of the High Ferritin Application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
title_sort therapeutic venesection at the australian red cross blood service: impact of the high ferritin application on management of hereditary haemochromatosis
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35544