Publication:

A study of profile of patients with different degrees of anemia

Background It has been estimated that 1.62 billion population of the world are suffering from anemia. Preschool children show a highest prevalence of 47.4%. Adult males show a lowest prevalence of 12.7% of anemia. Objective was to study the profile of patients with different degrees of anemia.

Methods Over a period of seven months, from January 2014 to July 2014, a cross sectional study was conducted at department of pathology, Lt. BRKM government medical college, Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India. It was possible to study the 250 cases during the tenure of the study period for the present study.

Results It was found that only 3.2% of cases were not having anemia. Thus, the overall prevalence of anemia in the present study was found out to be 96.8%. 62.5% of males and 37.5% of females were having normal hemoglobin. It was found that with normal hemoglobin of more than 12 gm%, no case was having serum iron less than 10.6 µmol/l. All cases without anemia had normal serum iron. 30.3% of cases of anemia had normal serum iron levels. 75.6% of cases across all degrees of anemia were showing microcytosis. This was more in moderate anemia having hemoglobin of 6-9 gm% followed by 42.4% in cases having mild anemia of hemoglobin of 9-12 gm%. Only 13.5% with severe degree of anemia were showing the microcytosis. 24.4% of cases were showing the normocytosis whereas no case has shown the macrocytosis.

Conclusions Prevalence of anemia was more in females. Serum iron did not correspond with the degree of anemia. There is need to emphasize more on awareness about anemia and its prevention especially in mother and child age group.