Review Articles
The straight and marrow - a primary care approach to anaemia
South African Family Practice | Vol 60, No 2 : March/April| a4854 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v60i2.4854
| © 2019
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 12 April 2018 | Published: 07 June 2018
Submitted: 12 April 2018 | Published: 07 June 2018
About the author(s)
V. Moodley, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and National Health Laboratory Service, South AfricaJ. Alant, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and National Health Laboratory Service, South Africa
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PDF (69KB)Abstract
Anaemia remains a common global health issue with approximately a quarter of the worlds’ population affected despite universal initiatives to address the disorder. Iron deficiency anaemia and anaemia of chronic disease remain the two top ranking causes of anaemia globally and when these conditions co-exist, diagnosis is often challenging. In South Africa, high-risk groups include children, pregnant women and human immunodeficiency virus infected individuals. The morbidity and mortality associated with anaemia mandates the correct identification of the underlying cause, thus ensuring early, appropriate management. This review proposes morphological assessment with the appropriate baseline biochemical testing as the initial approach to unexplained anaemia in a primary health care setting in South Africa, in order to expedite diagnosis and ensure appropriate management.
Keywords
anaemia; anaemia diagnosis; anaemia of chronic disease; human immunodeficiency virus infection; iron deficiency anaemia
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