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The anaemic inpatient
Author(s) -
Frost Terence,
Brien Joanne,
MB James P. Isbister
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1983.tb99362.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , anemia , radiation therapy , iron deficiency , iron therapy , intensive care medicine
The haemoglobin levels of all patients in a large teaching hospital (except those receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiotherapy) were examined over a three‐week period. One hundred and eleven patients with haemoglobin levels below 100 g/l were found, and the approach to this problem by the clinicians was scrutinized. In most patients, there was a good and obvious explanation for the anaemia; in just under 50%, however, the causes were often mixed or less obvious. Frequently the anaemia was not investigated when, perhaps, it should have been and, when treated, it was often treated inappropriately. Excessive, inappropriate and indiscriminate use of oral iron therapy was a prominent finding.