Summary
Differentials
Common
- Trauma
- Acute gastrointestinal bleeding
- Rupture of a vascular aneurysm
- Surgery
- Menorrhagia
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Folate deficiency
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Acute lymphocytic leukaemia
- Acute myeloid leukaemia
- Chronic myeloid leukaemia
- Hairy cell leukaemia
- Acquired aplastic anaemia
- Infiltration by secondary malignancy
- Pure red cell aplasia
- Drug toxicity
- Anaemia of chronic disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic liver disease
- Pregnancy
Uncommon
- Generalised malnutrition
- Cytotoxic chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Alcohol misuse
- Lead toxicity
- Hypothyroidism
- Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
- Transfusion reaction
- Malaria
- Viral hepatitis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Leishmaniasis
- Parvovirus B19 infection
- Infectious mononucleosis
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Sickle cell anaemia
- Thalassaemias
- Hereditary spherocytosis
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD)
- Bone marrow failure syndromes
- Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
- Haemangioma
- Malignant hypertension
- Prosthetic valves and surfaces
- Cutaneous burns
Contributors
Authors
Robert Zaiden, MD
Hematologist Oncologist
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center
Jacksonville
FL
Disclosures
RZ declares that he has no competing interests.
Acknowledgements
Dr Robert Zaiden would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Fauzia Rana, a previous contributor to this topic.
Disclosures
FR declares that she has no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Christoph Pechlaner, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Innsbruck Medical University
Innsbruck
Austria
Disclosures
CP declares that he has no competing interests.
John Densmore, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Department of Medicine
Division of Hematology/Oncology
University of Virginia
Charlottesville
VA
Disclosures
JD declares that he has no competing interests.
Carlos Aravena, MD
Internal Medicine Instructor
Member of Evidence Based Medicine Unit
Catholic University of Chile
Santiago
Chile
Disclosures
CA declares that he has no competing interests.
Guidelines
- WHO guideline on use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations
- Guidelines on the management of drug-induced immune and secondary autoimmune, haemolytic anaemia
GuidelinesPatient leaflets
Anaemia, iron deficiency
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