Clinical and Socio-Demographic Pattern of Beta Thalassaemia in Bangladesh

Beta thalassaemia is one of the most prevalent haemolytic disorders worldwide which poses serious economic burden to the society. Study on clinical and demographic pattern of this disorder will help the concern authorities to figure out the problem. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out to determine the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics as well as to find out the existence of other co-morbidities among the ?-thalassaemic patients (n-101). The study was carried out at the Department of Haematology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) from June 2010 to January 2011. Data were collected from 3 tertiary care hospitals of Dhaka city. Almost all the patients were young, age ranged from 10 to 32 years with the mean age of 16. Male to female ratio was almost equal (52.5:47.5) and 80% of the respondents were Muslims. Forty-five (45%) percent of patients were illiterate and 37% respondents had primary education only. Almost 90% were unmarried and majority had a family of 6-8 members. Forty-seven percent (47%) of patients had monthly income 5000-7000 BDT and 56% of the respondents were unemployed. The major clinical features were pallor (72.3%), palpitation (60%), and breathlessness (52.5%). The haemoglobin (Hb) concentration ranged from 7gm/dl to 12gm/dl and 57% patients had an Hb concentration of 8 gm/dl. Sixty percent of the respondents had jaundice with majority had enlarged spleen (86%) and some had enlarged liver too (23%). Ninety percent (90%) respondents had co-morbidities among which arrhythmia is more prevalent (54%).