Zeitschrift für Krebsforschung und Immunonkologie
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Iron Deficiency Anaemia: A Short Review

Salma AlDallal

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is one of the most widespread nutritional deficiency and accounts for almost onehalf of anaemia cases. It is prevalent in many countries of the developing world and accounts to five per cent (American women) and two per cent (American men). In most cases, this deficiency disorder may be diagnosed through full blood analysis (complete blood count) and high levels of serum ferritin. IDA may occur due to the physiological demands in growing children, adolescents and pregnant women may also lead to IDA. However, the underlying cause should be sought in case of all patients. To exclude a source of gastrointestinal bleeding medical procedure like gastroscopy/colonoscopy is utilized to evaluate the level of iron deficiency in patients without a clear physiological explanation. Inevitably, the accurate management of this disorder improves the quality of life, improves the symptoms of iron deficiency, and lessens the requirement for blood transfusion. The treatment options include oral iron supplement and intravenous iron therapy. However, this mode of treatment is not tolerable by some patients while it is insufficient in a certain subset of patients. Therefore, intravenous iron supplementation is considered undesirable approach and there is not much clarity on the safety concerns associated with this approach in case of very high doses or in the presence of very high ferritin levels. In addition, red cell transfusion is not recommended for IDA unless there is a need for immediate action. The objective of the review is to provide a critical summary and an update of the diagnosis and treatment options of IDA.