Posts Tagged ‘Blood In Stool’
Iron Deficiency Anemia – Causes, Clinical Picture, and Treatment
Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia:
Causes are divided into 4 major categories which include:
Decreased intake of iron (not common): e.g. in infancy as breast milk is poor in iron Defective absorption of iron (not common): e.g. malabsorption syndrome Increased requirements for iron (common cause): e.g. menestruating females, pregnancy and labour Chronic blood loss (The commonest cause): e.g. Menorrhagia which means excessive menstrual blood or hemorrhagic blood disease and may be bleeding varices or peptic ulcer.
Clinical Manifestations of the disease includes:
Easy fatiguability, stunted growth in children, lack of concentration, headache, blurring of vision, dyspnea, palpitation. Angular stomatitis (inflammation of mouth) and red glazed tongue Nails are brittle, striated with loss of lustre and in severe cases there maybe spooning of nails .
Investigations for diagnosis:
Complete blood picture Bone marrow examination Serum iron level Total iron binding capacity Transferrin saturation Serum ferritin Occult blood in stool to diagnose GIT bleeding Investigations for malabsorption ( if there are clinical manifestations to suspect it )
Treatment of this disease:
1- Treatment of the cause: e.g. Treatment of bleeding varices
2- Specific treatment ( Iron administration):The aim here is to treat anemia and replenish iron stores in the body
There are 2 forms of iron preparations:
Oral iron Parenteral iron (ie by injection): indicated in patients not tolerating oral iron, malabsorption syndrome and the need for urgent response .
3- Transfusion of packed RBCs: Indicated in Haemoglobin less than 8gm/dl , anaemic heart failure or severe symptoms of anemia .
4- Treatment of complications: e.g. Anemic heart failure .