Chronic anaemia in an Irish gastroenterology unit: one hundred consecutive cases.
One hundred consecutive patients presenting with anaemia of at least 4 wks' duration were studied. This represents 3% of all patients seen at a medical service with a gastroenterology subspecialty interest. Forty-three men and 57 women were included; the mean age was 60 (SD 18) yr. Iron deficiency was the principal cause of anaemia in 49% of cases. Blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract was the most frequent cause of iron deficiency and was predominantly from the upper gastrointestinal tract. Patients in whom iron deficiency was the sole cause of anaemia all had a microcytic hypochromic blood profile; however, serum iron and iron binding capacity correlated poorly with the severity of anaemia. Chronic disease was the principal cause of anaemia in 39% of patients.
Department of Medicine, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
D J
DJ
Lyons
G
G
Kavanagh
J F
JF
Fielding
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D007501:Iron