Polycythemia vera is a rare blood disorder in which there is an increase in all blood cells, particularly red blood cells. A complementary method, because patients with polycythemia vera are at increased risk of blood clots, is also low-dose aspirin therapy. This may include, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash and more. Side Effects. Hydroxyurea is a commonly used drug to treat patients suffering from Polycythemia Vera. Background: Phlebotomy to maintain hematocrit <45% is considered one of the cornerstones for the management of polycythemia vera (PV). The procedure lowers the number of RBCs and thins the blood. This decreases your blood volume and reduces the number of excess blood cells. The increase in blood cells makes your blood thicker. Phlebotomy is a procedure used to remove blood from your body. What are the treatments for polycythemia vera (PV)? Dogs and cats with polycythemia vera may have a red blood cell population of 65% to 75% of the total blood volume. Therapeutic Phlebotomy Side effects. Polycythemia vera is a rare disease of dogs and cats in which too many red blood cells are produced by the bone marrow. And so the simplest way of doing that is with phlebotomy, so that’s usually the first method that we use in patients. Secondary polycythemia, also called secondary erythrocytosis, is the overproduction of red blood cells. The blood becomes very thick and has difficulty moving through the small blood vessels in the body and your pet may feel tired, sluggish, and weak. Because it can increase your risk of stroke, it's important to get treatment if necessary. Treatment includes phlebotomy with … By removing iron from the body, the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow slows down. The big question is what are the side effects of phlebotomy for polycythemia? The ubiquitous side effects of rIFNα are described in detail elsewhere. About a pint of blood is removed during a session. 21 All patients initially suffered influenza‐like symptoms to a greater or lesser degree, which, in general, were dose‐related (Table 4), but 16 patients had virtually no significant side effects. Adverse reactions which could occur soon after therapeutic phlebotomy … The most common treatment for polychythemia vera is having frequent blood withdrawals, using a needle in a vein (phlebotomy). It's the same procedure used for donating blood. Red blood cells contain large amounts of iron. However, phlebotomy procedures may be inconvenient for or poorly tolerated by some patients, and often result in iron deficiency, which may be associated with additional quality-of-life burden, such as fatigue, impaired cognitive function and … This procedure removes blood from your body. Phlebotomy may be done every few days to every few months. Polycythemia vera is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder characterized by increased red blood cell mass. Abstract: Polycythemia vera (PV) is a Philadelphia chromosome–negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm that is associated with a Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutation in most cases.The most recent update to the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for PV was published in 2016. Even though it is an essential medication against the condition, it may cause several side effects for you. Doctors treat PV with a technique called phlebotomy. Medicines may be given to thin your blood. This can lead to strokes or tissue and organ damage. In rare cases, the drug has also been found to turn healthy cells cancerous. The goal in polycythemia vera is to keep the hematocrit below 45. This will help reduce blood clots. Phlebotomy is currently regarded as the pillar of Polycythemia Vera treatment. Polycythemia vera (PV) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with JAK2 mutations (V617F or exon 12) in almost all cases. 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