地中海贫血高发地区的贫血性疾病诊断思维

广西地中海贫血(thalassemia,地贫)携带率高达24.51%,是本地区最常见的贫血性疾病,易影响其他类型贫血的临床表现。地贫高发区诊断贫血性疾病时需注意:诊断时需想到地贫;诊断困惑时需考虑合并地贫;确诊地贫者需反思能否解释临床症状。从而提高诊断准确率、减少误诊。     

Comparing Knowledge of β-Thalassemia in Samples of Italians,Italian-Americans,and Non-Italian-Americans

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of β-thalassemia awareness among Italians living on the eastern side of Sicily (Bronte, Catania, and Tortorici, Messina), Italian-Americans, and Americans of other ethnic backgrounds (Other-Americans). A questionnaire was developed which asked respondents knowledge questions about both β-thalassemia and Down Syndrome. Five hundred questionnaires were distributed, and 456 were ultimately returned and analyzed (150 Italians, 156 Italian-Americans, 150 Other-Americans). Italians answered an average of 55% of the β-thalassemia correctly compared to scores of 17 and 24% for the Italian-Americans and Other-Americans, respectively. The groups did not differ in their knowledge of Down Syndrome (all answered between 58 and 60% of the questions correctly on average). Over 80% of the Italian respondents had heard of β-thalassemia compared to only 19% of the Italian-Americans. β-Thalassemia education programs in Italy appear to have dramatically increased awareness of the disorder. Similar programs need to be developed for at-risk populations in the United States.