Open AccessTest utilization for the diagnosis of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in local clinics in Korea
Author(s) -
Choi Rihwa,
Oh Youngju,
Park MiJung,
Kim Serim,
Kim Youngrae,
Lee Sang Gon,
Lee Eun Hee
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.23441
Subject(s) - macrocytic anemia , methylmalonic acid , vitamin b12 , mean corpuscular volume , medicine , homocysteine , anemia , urine , pediatrics , gastroenterology , hemoglobin , physiology
Background Current guidelines pertaining to diagnosing macrocytic anemia in association with vitamin B12 and folate deficiency recommend that vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, and methylmalonic acid assays should be assessed concurrently due to their close relationship in metabolism. We aimed to investigate the completion of these assays in local clinics and hospitals without in‐house clinical laboratories in Korea. Methods We retrospectively reviewed data from the laboratory information system between September 25, 2017, and June 30, 2019, to investigate usage rates of vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, and methylmalonic acid assays in patients with macrocytic anemia. Results During the study period, 14 894 Korean adults among 109 524 (13.6%) total hemoglobin‐tested subjects underwent concurrent erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) tests. Among these 14,894 adults, 265 (1.2%) from 94 local clinics or hospitals without in‐house clinical laboratories in Korea had macrocytic anemia. Furthermore, among these 265 adults, only one woman underwent serum vitamin B12 and folate assay and one man underwent serum homocysteine testing during the study period. No patients among the 265 individuals with macrocytic anemia received erythrocyte folate or methylmalonic acid testing (with either serum, plasma, random urine, or 24‐hour collected urine). Conclusions The results of this study provide basic information regarding utilization rates of assays in association with vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. Making more data available is expected to improve rates of testing in patients with macrocytic anemia in local clinics and hospitals without in‐house clinical laboratories in Korea.