Hemochromatosis Treatment assisted by vein finder

Hemochromatosis is a disorder where too much iron builds up in the body. which also called “iron overload.” In hemochromatosis, the body absorbs too much iron from the foods we eat, and it has no way to get rid of it.

So, it stores the excess iron in the joints and organs like the liver, heart, and pancreas. This damages them. If it’s not treated, hemochromatosis can make organs stop working.

There are two types of this condition — primary and secondary.

* Primary hemochromatosis: is hereditary, meaning it runs in families.

* Secondary hemochromatosis: happens because of sole conditions such as liver disease, certain kind of anaemia, and getting a lot of blood transfusions.

Phlebotomy or venesection is the most commonly used treatment for hemochromatosis. There are 2 main stages to treatment:

* Induction:  blood is removed frequently (usually weekly) until iron levels are normal; this can sometimes take up to a year or more.

* Maintenance: blood is removed less often (usually 2 to 4 times a year) to keep iron levels under control; this is usually needed for the rest of life.

Vein finders are necessary in this case to make the whole procedure easier and smoother since repeated injection of needles can be very uncomfortable and cause harm to the veins.

For example, the FDA Portable Vein Detector SIFVEIN-5.2  has a decent customizable brightness, which allows doctors and nurses to customize the image brightness depending on the light in the room and the patient’s skin tone.

It uses infrared technology that interacts with the blood colour and illuminates the veins beneath the skin surface, making a visible vein map on the patient’s hand and arm.

Using SIFVEIN-5.2 in assisting phlebotomy in the treatment of Hemochromatosis can prevent complications in patients with symptoms or organ damage. Plus, the use of a vein finder would aid the phlebotomist, doctor or nurse to easily locate the vein, banning any possible fail diagnosis and even more prevent discomfort and pain to the patient.

References: Treatment Hemochromatosis, Clinical applications of therapeutic phlebotomy, What is hemochromatosis?,