Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Question 1

What is the commonest cause of anaemia?

Answer 1

Iron deficiency

Question 2

What are the specific definitions of anaemia in these age groups?

1. Birth
2. 6 months to 5 years
3. 5 to 11 years
4. 12 to 14 years

Answer 2

1. <165g/L
2. <110g/L
3. <115g/L
4. <120g/L

Question 3

What are the causes of iron deficiency anaemia?

Answer 3

1. Inadequate intake of iron
2. Teenage girls - rapid growth and heavy menstrual bleeding
3. Coeliac disease and other malabsorption conditions
4. Hookworm in presence of eosinophilia in the tropics

Question 4

What is this a presentation of?
Fatigue, headache, irritability, poor feeding, pallor, angular stomatitis, koilonychia, tachycardia, may have pica (eating disorder).

Answer 4

Iron deficiency anaemia

Question 5

How is iron deficiency anaemia diagnosed?

Answer 5

1. FBC - low haemoglobin
2. Blood film - microcytic hypochromic red blood cells
3. Low reticulocyte count
4. Low ferritin, low TSATs, high TIBC

Question 6

What is the management of iron deficiency anaemia?

Answer 6

1. Increase iron rich foods - red meat, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified cereal.
2. Adequate vitamin C intake to aid iron absorption
3. Oral iron supplement - ferrous fumarate syrup
4. If recurrent - suspected bleeding and perform OGD and colonoscopy