Diagnostic and management strategies for anaemia in adults.
BACKGROUND
Anaemia is often an incidental finding or is discovered when patients present with nonspecific symptoms such as tiredness.


OBJECTIVE
This article presents strategies to identify the cause of anaemia and uses four case studies to illustrate these principles.


CONCLUSIONS
Few diagnostic tests can completely rule in or rule out causes of anaemia. This makes the investigation of anaemia complex. An understanding of the limitations of tests in aiding diagnosis is required.
Doust
Jenny
J
Centre for General Practice, University of Queensland. j.doust@sph.uq.edu.au
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D001315:Australia; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male