Iron deficiency anemia in the tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is still the common nutritional deficiency disease in both well developed and developing countries, so far. Herein, we review the cases with IDA in the tertiary care hospital. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients who were diagnosed as having IDA in the department of medicine, Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital between 1 Jan 2014 and 31 Dec 2015. The diagnosis was based on the hemoglobin level < 12 g% in females and < 13 g% in males, MCV < 80 fl, with serum ferritin < 15 ng/mL. Results: There were 113 patients, 19 males and 94 females with age 16-93 years and no one had bald tongue or koilonychias. Mean Hb level was 8.5+2.2 g%, range 3.2-11.6 g%, MCV 65.8+7.0 fL, MCH 20.8+2.2 pg, mean serum ferritin 7.6+3.9 with range 1.0-14.0 ng/mL. Of them, 37 cases (32.7 %) had Hb E trait. The main causes of IDA were the gastrointestinal iron loss in both men and women and menorrhagia. They were all treated with iron tablets and their Hb could be raised to 11.4+1.7 g% in 3 months. Conclusion: IDA in adults was still commonly found and the gastrointestinal and genital loss of iron was the main causes which needed to be fully investigated when the patients with IDA were encountered.