EHA Library - The official digital education library of European Hematology Association (EHA)

To evaluate the treatment of ITP patients in Departament of Hematology, County Hospital, Timişoara.

The mean age was 45.6 years with 58% women and 42% men. Median time from the diagnosis of ITP to the start of the observational period was 23 months. Regardless of the presence of bleeding symptoms, for majority of patients we started treatment based on plateled count. Treatment was considered when platelet counts are less than 20x10⁹/L in patients without bleeding, and less than 30x10⁹/L in patients with bleeding. Prior to the observational period, 36% of patients had been splenectomized and the most reported treatment was corticosteroids. During the observational period, 72% of all patients were treated. The most frequent reasons given for treatment were platelet count (58%), followed by bleeding symptoms (42%). Corticosteroids represented 52% of treatments, followed by IVIg (20%), azathioprine (12%) rituximab and 8% Nplate. Splenectomies (8% of patients) and platelet transfusions (27% of patients) were performed during the observational period. In the patient survey, 52% of participants were 60 years of age or older and the duration of disease was more than 10 years in 43% of patients. The minimum platelet counts were less than 10x10⁹/L in 49% of patients. The most common symptoms of ITP was fatigue (45%). Approximately 60% of patients reported at least one side effect associated with ITP treatment. The side effects were most frequently associated with corticosteroid use (43%). Overall, 40% of patients required hospitalization. Mean duration of hospitalization was 13,5 days.