Introduction
Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening metabolic abnormality. The incidence of TLS depends on the underlying
malignancy. In a recent analysis of
hematological malignancy, the incidence of clinical TLS in children was 3.8%, laboratory TLS 46.2%, and
hyperphosphatemia 32.7%.
Sevelamer is effective for the treatment of
hyperphosphatemia associated with
renal failure; however, there is no clear data that it has the same effect in treating hyperphosphatemia with TLS. Methods This was a retrospective study among children aged ≤14 years with
hematological malignancy who developed TLS and received
sevelamer to treat
hyperphosphatemia at Princess Norah Oncology Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah from January 2012 to December 2016. Results A total of 34 patients received
sevelamer. The majority was male (64%), with a median age of six years. The median
sevelamer dose per day was 1600 mg, while the median duration of use was two days.
Phosphate level was significantly decreased at different times (24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours) during
sevelamer usage, p-value <0.001. Conclusion In our study, the use of
sevelamer resulted in a significant decrease in
phosphate levels. This finding further consolidates the efficacy of
sevelamer in treating
hyperphosphatemia with TLS. However, further research into the
drug's kinetics is recommended.