IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

DR. LUCI DIANNE E. ELEMEOS, RMT, FPOGS, FPCM

MECHANISMS OF IRON DEFICIENCY

 Increased physiologic demand:

rapid growth: infants and children
pregnancy and lactation
 Inadequate intake
Iron-deficient diet
Inadequate absorption
 Chronic blood loss
Menstrual flow, GIT bleeding, regular blood donation,chronic hemolysis
symptoms

 Similar to other forms of anemia:

Fatigue, breathlessness, and dizziness
Physical findings

 Angular stomatitis, glossitis, Koilonychia (flattening or spooning of the nails)

 Neurologic changes are not seen
Laboratory tests for diagnosis

 CBC (with RBC morphology)

 Serrum Ferritin
 Reticulocyte count( 7-12 days after start of iron therapy)
TREATMENT

 IRON SUPPLEMENTS
 CONTROL THE SOURCE OF BLEEDING
IRON THERAPY

 Should increase the reticulocyte count and the RPI within a few days(>3days) reaching a maximum at 7-12
days
 Hemoglobin values reach to normal levels within 2 months
SIDEROBLASTIC ANEMIA

 A diverse group identified by the common feature of abnormal iron kinetics.

 There is an excess accumulation of iron stores in the mitochondria of normoblasts.
 The iron stores are identified using Prussian blue stain and the resulting abnormal stains are identified as
ringed sideroblasts. These siderobalsts are found in the bone marrow.
SIDEROBLASTIC ANEMIA

 HEREDITARY TYPE
 IDIOPATHIC TYPE
 SECONDARY TYPE
HEREDITARY TYPE

 AN x-linked recessive trait (FOUND PREDOMINANTLY IN MALES)

 MOST have decreased aminolevulinic acid synthase activity
 Apparent during infancy,some during early adulthood and a few only after 60
years old
 Signs and symptoms of anemia ,with mild to moderate splenomegaly and
hepatomegaly, but the liver functions are normal.