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Review
. 2018 Jun;18(3):242-244.
doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-242.

Investigation of iron deficiency anaemia

Sonia Bouri  1 , John Martin  2
Affiliations
Review

Investigation of iron deficiency anaemia

Sonia Bouri et al. Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is an important, common clinical condition and 8-15% of these patients will be diagnosed with a gastrointestinal cancer. IDA is defined as haemoglobin below the lower limit of normal, in the presence of characteristic iron studies. This article will discuss the causes and clinical diagnosis of iron deficiency, including interpretation of common laboratory tests that differentiate this from other causes of anaemia. We suggest an initial approach for investigating the cause of iron deficiency in these patients and also consider the subsequent treatment and indications for further investigation.

Keywords: anaemia; haemogloblin; iron deficiency.

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