Hemoglobinopathies in the Hamilton region. II. Thalassemia traits and iron therapy.
Between July 1973 and July 1974 all adult patients with hypochromic anemia and a mean corpuscular volume of 75 mum3 or less were screened for hemoglobinopathies. Of the 490 patients 105 had beta-thalassemia trait, 11 had alpha1-thalassemia trait, 4 had hemoglobin Lepore trait and 1 had hemoglobin H disease. Of 48 inpatients whose charts were reviewed 19 had been on oral iron therapy and 7 of them had been given iron intramuscularly. Of 27 outpatients interviewed 10 had been on intermittent iron therapy for 18 months or more; 4 had been given at least 1 g of intramuscular iron. Iron deficiency was not documented in any of these patients. Iron deficiency should be diagnosed by means other than the presence of a hypochromic picture in the peripheral blood before iron therapy is instituted, particularly in communities with a large population of Mediterranean or South-East Asian origin.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000175:diagnosis; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004913:Erythrocytes, Abnormal; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D006447:Hemoglobin H / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
D006447:Hemoglobin H; D007501:Iron