Table 1.

Conditions where 1st level test would be inappropriate.

Conditions Where 1st Level Test Would Be Inappropriate
(a)In the three months following a transfusion, if not intended for monitoring in polytransfused patients
(b)In recently ascertained iron deficiency (*)
(c)In therapy for severe unresolved iron deficiency (*)
(d)In subjects in whom beta Thalassemia has already been ruled out and you want to exclude alpha Thalassemia too
(e)At birth for heterozygous beta Thalassemia, Hb Lepore and delta-beta Thalassemia

(*) Except for those cases where the clinical context urgently requires to exclude an alpha (with normal or decreased HbA2) or beta (increased HbA2) thalassemia mutation, bearing in mind that the data obtained has no conclusive value and should be evaluated critically at the end of therapy, repeating the test especially if HbA2 was normal or reduced.