BACKGROUND: Ten Coagulation Workshops were conducted by the Nation Hemophilia Center in the Philippines from 1997 to 2007. These workshops sought for government and non-government health workers: to gain competence in the identification and diagnosis of hemophilia and other related bleeding disorders; familiarize them with the most common diagnostic tests in the diagnosis of hemophilia, and acquaint them with the National Hemophilia Registry, how to accomplish it, and its pedigree.

OBJECTIVES: This evaluative study was conducted to determine the impact of the workshops as well as the possibility of considering similar activities in the future.

RESULTS: A total of 150 respondents consisting of medical technologists (95), medical doctors (53) and medical representatives (2) returned the completed survey instruments. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics of specific variables from the survey. They showed favorable impressions of the coagulation workshops among participants who claimed that the workshops helped them acquire additional laboratory skills and diagnose hemophila and other blood disorders. They also became aware of the National Registry Program and completed the National Hemophilia Registry for patients with their pedigrees. A majority of the respondents also claimed that they now apply in their respective work settings the knowledge gained from the workshop and they also reported an improvement in work attitude. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of the physicians and 3.3% of medical technologists registered hemophilia cases at the NHC. Participants look forward to more workshops similar to the one they have attended to acquire additional knowledge and to be updated on hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.

Hemophilia

BACKGROUND. ITP is an acute disease in children characterized by bleeding manifestation with spontaneous remission. However, some develop severe bleeding which maybe life threatening.

OBJECTIVE. To determine the difference in proportion of patients who achieved a rise in platelet count in patients with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura treated with corticosteroids or IVIG.

METHODS. A systematic search of articles utilizing a search strategy was performed to identify relevant articles according to prior inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data sources included Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Pediatrics and Journal of Pediatrics (all up to 2005). Fixed effects and random effects models were used to determine summary effects estimates.

OUTCOME MEASURE. Difference in proportion of patients who achieved the desired platelet count between treatment groups.

RESULTS. Analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials showed that IVIG produced an additional 12-14% increase in proportion of patients with platelet count >20 x 10 9/ L and 18% increase in proportion of patients with platelet count >50 x 10 9 / L on days 2 to 4. No significant differences were seen between the treatment groups on days 14 and 28 except for platelet count >50 x 10 9 /L.

CONCLUSION. IVIG is more effective than corticosteroids in raising the platelet count during the early part of treatment.

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura ; Corticosteroid ; Intravenous Gamma Globulin ; Meta-analysis