Self-reported level of and factors influencing the compliance to desferrioxamine therapy in multitransfused thalassaemias.

Aim: To analyse the self-reported degree of and factors influencing the compliance to desferrioxamine (DFO) therapy in children with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia major in Malaysia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all children with thalassaemia major on DFO attending Likas Hospital, Sabah, in September 2008. Patients or carer-providers were interviewed to report on the degree of compliance as either highly (administering >90% of DFO), moderately (51-90%), poorly (1%-50%) or non-compliant (0%) to DFO in the preceding month.