Aplastic Anemia Treatment
Mild or moderate aplastic anemia may not need treatment as long as the condition doesn’t get worse. Severe aplastic anemia, in which your blood cell counts are extremely low, is life-threatening and need emergency treatment in hospital.
The treatment plan for each patient will be determined by the severity of the disease, their age, the availability of a suitable potential stem cell donor and their general health at the time of diagnosis. For certain causes, recovery can be expected after treatment, however, relapses can occur. To treat aplastic anemia include blood transfusions, bone marrow transplantation, and medicines. These treatments can prevent or limit complications, relieve symptoms, and improve quality of life.
Blood transfusion for both red blood cells and platelets:
Red blood cells. Transfusions of red blood cells raise red blood cell counts. This helps relieve anemia and fatigue. Transfusions of platelets help prevent bleeding. Red blood cells are easiest to replace by transfusion. There are only four major blood types, so matching blood types between donor and recipient is usually easy, and transfused cells may remain in your body for a month or longer.
Platelets. Platelets are collected from a donor through a process called hemapheresis. Blood is drawn from a vein in a donor's arm and is circulated through a blood-separating machine that removes platelets before returning the blood to the donor. The platelets removed are then given to the person with aplastic anemia.
A blood transfusion is a common procedure in which blood is given to you through an intravenous (IV) line in one of your blood vessels. Transfusions require careful matching of donated blood with the recipient’s blood. Blood transfusions help relieve the symptoms of aplastic anemia, but they’re not a permanent treatment.
Bone Marrow Transplant:
A blood and marrow stem cell transplant replaces damaged stem cells with healthy ones from donor. During the transplant, which is like a blood transfusion, you get donated stem cells through a tube placed in a vein in your chest. Once the stem cells are in your body, they travel to your bone marrow and begin making new blood cells. Blood and marrow stem cell transplants often cure aplastic anemia in people who are eligible for this type of transplant. The transplant works best in children and young adults with severe aplastic anemia who are in good health and who have matched donors.
Medicines for Immunosuppressive Therapy:
Immunosuppressive therapy is one of the standard treatments for many patients with severe aplastic anemia. The immune system is made up of organs and specialized cells that work together to protect the body from infection and disease. The immune system uses white blood cells to fight infections. The white blood cells mark and attack cells that they do not recognize as belonging in the body. The medicines used by immunosuppressive therapy that will suppress the body's immune system include Antithymocyte globulin (ATG), Cyclosporine, Methylprednisolone. This treatment is based on the widely accepted theory that aplastic anemia is a result of the immune system attacking the bone marrow. The treatment weakens the immune system's response and allows the marrow to make more blood cells. Immune-suppressing drugs can be very effective at treating aplastic anemia. The downside is that these drugs further weaken your immune system. It's also possible that after you stop taking these drugs, aplastic anemia may return.
Medicines for bone marrow stimulate (Growth factors):
Growth factors are drugs that used to stimulate the bone marrow to make more blood cells. A person with aplastic anemia may be given growth factors to try to reduce the need for red blood cell transfusions. However, in many cases of aplastic anemia, the marrow does not respond to growth factors. Growth factors may also be given after treatment with immunosuppressive therapy or transplant. In this case, growth factors often are effective. They can help speed up new blood cell production, reducing a person's need for transfusions and reducing infection risks.
Antibiotics for Infection prevention:
Having aplastic anemia weakens your immune system. You have fewer white blood cells in circulation to fight off germs. This leaves you susceptible to all kinds of infections, everything from colds to more-serious illnesses. At the first sign of infection, such as a fever, see your doctor for treatment. If you have severe aplastic anemia, your doctor may give you antibiotics to help prevent infections.