Book excerpt: The multi-organ pathology of the thalassaemias means that the most successful patient treatment programmes involve a number of medical staff, led by paediatricians and haematologists, but including other specialists in a multidisciplinary approach. However, this means that medical professionals not involved in such multidisciplinary groups, including primary care physicians and the staff of Accident and Emergency departments, rarely treat patients with thalassaemia. As a result, their knowledge of how to address acute complications in such patients is extremely limited. This handbook aims to provide a brief evaluation of the situations in which a thalassaemia patient may seek help beyond the specialized environment he/she is used to. The layout of the handbook is intended to enable the medical professional in a busy clinical setting to draw essential information at a glance, supporting rapid, accurate as possible, decisions on how to proceed.