[Guidelines for uniform management of breath-holding spells]. / Nya handläggningsrutiner för affektanfall hos barn föreslås.

Witnessing breath-holding spells (BHS) can be distressing and patients with BHS disproportionately consume a substantial amount of health care resources. Common among preschool children, BHS follow a distinct sequence of events. A comprehensive patient history is the primary diagnostic tool. BHS lacked standardized diagnostic criteria and guidelines until our recent Acta Paediatrica publication. Studying 519 BHS cases in Skåne (years 2004-2018), we found overuse of electrocardiograms (ECGs) and electroencephalograms (EEGs), and underuse of blood tests for treatable iron deficiency and anemia, both known BHS contributors. Building upon our cohort analysis, we refined the definition of BHS and introduced a clinical management algorithm. Simulations showed reduced EEG and ECG use and an increase in blood tests. Our guideline not only streamlines diagnostic processes, but also optimizes the allocation of healthcare resources for more effective and targeted interventions.

[PATIENT BLOOD MANAGEMENT - IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE THIS POLICY].

INTRODUCTION: Anemia is common and is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality, especially in pre- (30-40% of patients undergoing major surgery) or post-operative anemia (up to 80-90%). Using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, in 2010 one quarter of the global population was anemic (1.9 billion people) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA( was and still remains the most common type of anemia worldwide, accounting for more than half of the total anemia burden. In a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016, IDA was the fourth leading cause of years lived with disability, particularly in women, thus highlighting prevention and treatment of IDA as a major public health goal. Red blood cells (RBC) transfusion is a common therapeutic intervention with considerable variation in clinical practice. More than 85 million units packed RBC (PRBC) are transfused annually worldwide. The principal indication for blood transfusion (BT) is anemia, yet a significant percentage of RBC transfusions are inappropriately overused. For many physicians and clinicians, across many different specialties, BT is still considered to be the first-line treatment when facing anemia. The Joint Commission along with the American Medical Association has included BT in a list of the five most overused therapeutic procedures in the United States. Restrictive blood transfusion (RBT) is an evidence-based policy, at least as effective, if not superior to the liberal policy of BT. Patient blood management (PBM) is a patient-centered systematic, evidence-based approach, supported by RBT. In this article we analyze the factors which influence the implementation of PBM.

The findings of a service evaluation on the practice of assessment and treatment of iron deficiency in people admitted to a UK hospital with decompensated Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Iron Deficiency (ID) is common in Heart Failure (HF) and associated with poor outcomes. Replacement with intravenous (IV) iron can improve functional status, quality of life and risk of unplanned admission. In 2015/16 a local service evaluation was performed which found that of people admitted with HF, only 27.5 % had assessment of iron status, and when identified, replacement occurred in fewer than half. Education strategies were employed to increase awareness of the importance of assessment and correction. OBJECTIVES: To assess if practice had improved following education strategies. METHODS: A review of 220 patient records for people admitted with HF in 2020/21 to establish if iron status assessed, presence of ID, and whether if ID identified it was treated, and by which route. Trends in 2020/21 data were explored in sub-groups by age, sex, type of HF, anaemia status, input from HF specialists and type of ID. RESULTS: Compared to 2015/16, more assessments of iron status were performed (45% vs 27.5 %), ID was corrected more frequently (57% vs 46 %) and increased use of the IV route for replacement (83% vs 58 %) CONCLUSIONS: Despite the impact of COVID-19 on usual care in 2020/21, improvement was seen in proportion of assessment and treatment of ID following simple education strategies for key stakeholders. There may be scope to improve practice further if the findings remain similar post pandemic. If so, a formal Quality Improvement approach may be helpful.

Guidance for the gastrointestinal evaluation and management of iron deficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Over 30% of the world's population is anaemic, with a significant proportion of these being iron deficient. As iron deficiency (ID) anaemia in men and post-menopausal women is mostly caused by gastrointestinal blood loss or malabsorption, the initial evaluation of a patient with ID anaemia involves referral to a gastroenterologist. The current drive towards patient blood management in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)prescribes that we regulate not only the use of blood transfusion but also the management of patients in whom the cause of iron loss or inadequate iron absorption is sought. Recommendations have been developed to: (i) aid clinicians in the evaluation of suspected gastrointestinal iron loss and iron malabsorption, and often a combination of these; (ii) improve clinical outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal causes of ID; (iii) provide current, evidence-based, context-specific recommendations for use in the management of ID; and (iv) conserve resources by ensuring rational utilisation of blood and blood products. METHOD: Development of the guidance document was facilitated by the Gastroenterology Foundation of Sub-Saharan Africa and the South African Gastroenterology Society. The consensus recommendations are based on a rigorous process involving 21 experts in gastroenterology and haematology in SSA. Following discussion of the scope and purpose of the guidance document among the experts, an initial review of the literature and existing guidelines was undertaken. Thereafter, draft recommendation statements were produced to fulfil the outlined purpose of the guidance document. These were reviewed in a round-table discussion and were subjected to two rounds of anonymised consensus voting by the full committee in an electronic Delphi exercise during 2022 using the online platform, Research Electronic Data Capture. Recommendations were modified by considering feedback from the previous round, and those reaching a consensus of over 80% were incorporated into the final document. Finally, 44 statements in the document were read and approved by all members of the working group. CONCLUSION: The recommendations incorporate six areas, namely: general recommendations and practice, Helicobacter pylori, coeliac disease, suspected small bowel bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, and preoperative care. Implementation of the recommendations is aimed at various levels from individual practitioners to healthcare institutions, departments and regional, district, provincial and national platforms. It is intended that the recommendations spur the development of centre-specific guidelines and that they are integrated with the relevant patient blood management protocols. Integration of the recommendations is intended to promote optimal evaluation and management of patients with ID, regardless of the presence of anaemia.

Current concepts in postpartum anemia management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Postpartum anemia (PPA) is common in women after childbirth and affects about 50-80% of all women worldwide. Iron deficiency (ID) is the main cause for anemia and constitutes a potentially preventable condition with great impact on the mother's physical and mental condition after delivery. In most cases, PPA is associated with antenatal ID and peripartum blood losses. Numerous published studies confirmed the positive effect of PPA diagnosis and treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: Iron deficiency as well as iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are common in the postpartum period and represent significant health problems in women of reproductive age. SUMMARY: Important movements towards early detection and therapy of postpartum anemia have been observed. However, postpartum anemia management is not implemented on a large scale as many healthcare professionals are not aware of the most recent findings in the field. Diagnosis and therapy of PPA, particularly iron supplementation in ID and IDA, has proven to be highly effective with a tremendous effect on women's wellbeing and outcome.

Should echocardiogram be undertaken routinely when a child has severe iron deficiency anaemia?

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is common in children. Treatment usually consists of oral iron therapy and, if severe, inpatient hospitalisation with blood transfusion. Providers may also undertake an echocardiogram, depending on availability and the severity of anaemia. A male toddler with nutritional IDA, haemoglobin of 1.7 g/dL (the lowest level in the literature) and hypertension had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on the initial echocardiogram. He was managed acutely with judicious blood transfusion, followed by oral iron supplementation and anti-hypertensive medication at discharge. Repeat echocardiogram a month later demonstrated slight improvement of the LVH but the hypertension persisted at follow-up 6 months later. There was complete resolution of the findings a year later. In chronic nutritional IDA, there can be structural cardiac changes which can affect the acute management and requires close follow-up. It is important to use echocardiography in such severe cases.Abbreviations: CHF: congestive heart failure; CM: cardiomyopathy; DCM: dilated cardiomyopathy; ICU: intensive care unit; IDA: iron deficiency anaemia; IVSd: interventricular septum in diastole; LA: left atrium; LV: left ventricle; LVEDD: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; LVH: left ventricular hypertrophy; LVM: left ventricular mass; LVPWd: left ventricular posterior wall end-diastole; PRBC: packed red blood cells.

Eficacia comparada de suplemento y complemento alimentario en el tratamiento de la anemia ferropénica en niños peruanos / Comparative efficacy of supplement and dietary supplement in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in Peruvian children

Introducción: La anemia es la deficiencia nutricional más frecuente en niños menores de tres años, afectando su desarrollo cognitivo y psicomotor, siendo necesario identificar estrategias innovadoras para su prevención y un tratamiento terapéutico efectivo a corto plazo.Objetivo: comparar la eficacia del consumo de Nutrihem versus Sprinkles en el nivel de hemoglobina de niños 12 a 35 meses de edad con anemia ferropénica. Materiales y Métodos: bajo un enfoque cuantitativo se desarrolló una investigación de diseño experimental, tipo ensayo clínico pragmático sin enmascaramiento, la muestra estuvo conformada por 72 niños de 12 a 35 meses de edad, con diagnóstico de anemia ferropénica leve o moderada; al inicio de la intervención, fueron distribuidos en forma aleatoria en dos grupos experimentales, quienes recibieron el complemento alimentario Nutrihem o el suplemento Sprinkles por un periodo continuo de 90 días y un grupo control. El nivel de hemoglobina se determinó con un hemoglobinómetro portátil calibrado, evaluándose al inicio y término de la intervención. Para comparar y evaluar la eficacia se utilizó la prueba estadística ANOVA y la prueba post hoc T3 de Dunnett. Resultados: Al inicio de la intervención el 84.7% presentó anemia leve y el 15.3% anemia moderada. El grupo experimental que consumió el suplemento Nutrihem, al término de la intervención incrementó su valor de hemoglobina en 1,52 g/dL, obteniendo un valor p = 0,001 (p<0,05); asimismo, el 75% de los participantes normalizaron su valor de hemoglobina según edad. El grupo que consumió el suplemento Sprinkles incrementó el valor de hemoglobina en 0,38 g/dL, obteniendo un valor p = 0,246 (p>0,05); el 32% de niños normalizaron su valor de hemoglobina. Conclusión: El complemento alimentario Nutrihem presentó un mayor aumento del nivel hemoglobina, asimismo, presentó mayor adherencia al tratamiento, siendo una opción efectiva para el tratamiento de la anemia ferropénica en niños.(AU)

Introduction: Anemia is the most common nutritional de-ficiency in children under three years of age, affecting theircognitive and psychomotor development. It is necessary toidentify innovative strategies for its prevention and effectiveshort-term therapeutic treatment.Objective: to compare the effectiveness of the consump-tion of Nutrihem versus Sprinkles in the treatment of anemiain Peruvian children from 12 to 35 months of age.Materials and Methods: under a quantitative approach,an experimental design research, pragmatic clinical trial typewithout blinding, was developed. The sample was made up 72 children from 12 to 35 months of age, with a diagnosis ofmild or moderate iron deficiency anemia. They were randomlydistributed into two experimental groups and a control group;The experimental groups received the Nutrihem dietary sup-plement or the Sprinkles supplement for a continuous periodof 90 days. The hemoglobin level was determined with a cal-ibrated portable hemoglobinometer, and was evaluated at thebeginning and end of the intervention. To compare and eval-uate effectiveness, the ANOVA statistical test and Dunnett’sT3 post hoc test were used. Results: At the beginning of the intervention, 84.7% hadmild anemia and 15.3% had moderate anemia. The experi-mental group that consumed the Nutrihem food supplement,at the end of the intervention increased its hemoglobin valueby 1.52 g/dL, obtaining a p value = 0.001 (p <0.05);Likewise, 75% of the participants normalized their hemoglo-bin value according to age. The experimental group that con-sumed the Sprinkles supplement increased the hemoglobinvalue by 0.38 g/dL, obtaining a p value = 0.246 (p>0.05);32% of children normalized their hemoglobin value.Conclusion: The Nutrihem food supplement presented agreater increase in hemoglobin level, and also presentedgreater adherence to treatment; being an effective option forthe treatment of iron deficiency anemia in children.(AU)

Iron status in Swiss adolescents with paediatric major depressive disorder and healthy controls: a matched case-control study.

PURPOSE: Depression is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation and impaired intestinal function, both of which may reduce dietary iron absorption. Low iron status has been associated with depression in adults and adolescents. In Swiss adolescents, we determined the associations between paediatric major depressive disorder (pMDD), inflammation, intestinal permeability and iron status. METHODS: This is a matched case-control study in 95 adolescents with diagnosed pMDD and 95 healthy controls aged 13-17 years. We assessed depression severity using the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. We measured iron status (serum ferritin (SF) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)), inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein (AGP)), and intestinal permeability (intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP)). We assessed history of ID diagnosis and treatment with a self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: SF concentrations did not differ between adolescents with pMDD (median (IQR) SF: 31.2 (20.2, 57.0) µg/L) and controls (32.5 (22.6, 48.3) µg/L, p = 0.4). sTfR was lower among cases than controls (4.50 (4.00, 5.50) mg/L vs 5.20 (4.75, 6.10) mg/L, p < 0.001). CRP, AGP and I-FABP were higher among cases than controls (CRP: 0.16 (0.03, 0.43) mg/L vs 0.04 (0.02, 0.30) mg/L, p = 0.003; AGP: 0.57 (0.44, 0.70) g/L vs 0.52 (0.41, 0.67) g/L, p = 0.024); I-FABP: 307 (17, 515) pg/mL vs 232 (163, 357) pg/mL, p = 0.047). Of cases, 44% reported having a history of ID diagnosis compared to 26% among controls (p = 0.020). Finally, 28% of cases had iron treatment at/close to study inclusion compared to 14% among controls. CONCLUSION: Cases had significantly higher systemic inflammation and intestinal permeability than controls but did not have lower iron status. Whether this is related to the higher rate of ID diagnosis and iron treatment in adolescents with depression is uncertain.

Oral iron therapy: Current concepts and future prospects for improving efficacy and outcomes.

Iron deficiency (ID) and iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) are global public health concerns, most commonly afflicting children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age. Pathological outcomes of ID include delayed cognitive development in children, adverse pregnancy outcomes and decreased work capacity in adults. IDA is usually treated by oral iron supplementation, typically using iron salts (e.g. FeSO4 ); however, dosing at several-fold above the RDA may be required due to less efficient absorption. Excess enteral iron causes adverse gastrointestinal side effects, thus reducing compliance, and negatively impacts the gut microbiome. Recent research has sought to identify new iron formulations with better absorption so that lower effective dosing can be utilized. This article outlines emerging research on oral iron supplementation and focuses on molecular mechanisms by which different supplemental forms of iron are transported across the intestinal epithelium and whether these transport pathways are subject to regulation by the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin.

Identification and treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in pregnancy and postpartum: A systematic review and quality appraisal of guidelines using AGREE II.

BACKGROUND: Several international guidelines provide recommendations for the optimal management of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in the pregnant and postpartum populations. OBJECTIVES: To review the quality of guidelines containing recommendations for the identification and treatment of IDA in pregnancy and postpartum using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument and to summarize their recommendations. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases were searched from inception to August 2, 2021. A web engine search was also performed. SELECTION CRITERIA: Clinical practice guidelines that focused on the management of IDA in pregnancy and/or postpartum populations were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Included guidelines were appraised using AGREE II independently by two reviewers. Domain scores greater than 70% were considered high-quality. Overall scores of six or seven (out of a possible seven) were considered high-quality guidelines. Recommendations on IDA management were extracted and summarized. MAIN RESULTS: Of 2887 citations, 16 guidelines were included. Only six (37.5%) guidelines were deemed high-quality and were recommended by the reviewers. All 16 (100%) guidelines discussed the management of IDA in pregnancy, and 10 (62.5%) also included information on the management of IDA in the postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: The complex interplay of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities was rarely addressed, which limits the generalizability of the recommendations. In addition, many guidelines failed to identify barriers to implementation, strategies to improve uptake or iron treatment, and resource and cost implications of clinical recommendations. These findings highlight important areas to target future work.

Iron Deficiency Anemia: An Updated Review.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency disorder and the leading cause of anemia in children, especially in developing countries. When present in early childhood, especially if severe and prolonged, iron deficiency anemia can result in neurodevelopmental and cognitive deficits, which may not always be fully reversible even following the correction of iron deficiency anemia. OBJECTIVE: This article aimed to familiarize physicians with the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, evaluation, prevention, and management of children with iron deficiency anemia. METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted in February 2023 in Clinical Queries using the key term "iron deficiency anemia". The search strategy included all clinical trials (including open trials, non-randomized controlled trials, and randomized controlled trials), observational studies (including case reports and case series), and reviews (including narrative reviews, clinical guidelines, and meta-analyses) published within the past 10 years. Google, UpToDate, and Wikipedia were also searched to enrich the review. Only papers published in the English literature were included in this review. The information retrieved from the search was used in the compilation of the present article. RESULTS: Iron deficiency anemia is most common among children aged nine months to three years and during adolescence. Iron deficiency anemia can result from increased demand for iron, inadequate iron intake, decreased iron absorption (malabsorption), increased blood loss, and rarely, defective plasma iron transport. Most children with mild iron deficiency anemia are asymptomatic. Pallor is the most frequent presenting feature. In mild to moderate iron deficiency anemia, poor appetite, fatigability, lassitude, lethargy, exercise intolerance, irritability, and dizziness may be seen. In severe iron deficiency anemia, tachycardia, shortness of breath, diaphoresis, and poor capillary refilling may occur. When present in early childhood, especially if severe and prolonged, iron deficiency anemia can result in neurodevelopmental and cognitive deficits, which may not always be fully reversible even with the correction of iron deficiency anemia. A low hemoglobin and a peripheral blood film showing hypochromia, microcytosis, and marked anisocytosis, should arouse suspicion of iron deficiency anemia. A low serum ferritin level may confirm the diagnosis. Oral iron therapy is the first-line treatment for iron deficiency anemia. This can be achieved by oral administration of one of the ferrous preparations, which is the most cost-effective medication for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia. The optimal response can be achieved with a dosage of 3 to 6 mg/kg of elemental iron per day. Parenteral iron therapy or red blood cell transfusion is usually not necessary. CONCLUSION: In spite of a decline in prevalence, iron deficiency anemia remains a common cause of anemia in young children and adolescents, especially in developing countries; hence, its prevention is important. Primary prevention can be achieved by supplementary iron or iron fortification of staple foods. The importance of dietary counseling and nutritional education cannot be overemphasized. Secondary prevention involves screening for, diagnosing, and treating iron deficiency anemia. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends universal laboratory screening for iron deficiency anemia at approximately one year of age for healthy children. Assessment of risk factors associated with iron deficiency anemia should be performed at this time. Selective laboratory screening should be performed at any age when risk factors for iron deficiency anemia have been identified.

Hemoglobin Threshold for Blood Transfusion in Young Children Hospitalized with Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Current recommendations advise against blood transfusion in hemodynamically stable children with iron deficiency anemia. In an observational study of 125 children aged 6 through 36 months, hospitalized with iron deficiency anemia, we found that hemoglobin level predicted red blood cell transfusion (area under the curve 0.8862). A hemoglobin of 39 g/L had sensitivity 92% and specificity 72% for transfusion.

Identifying and treating iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy.

Anemia is common during pregnancy, and while most anemia is physiologic, the most common pathologic cause is iron deficiency. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends confirmation of iron deficiency anemia with iron studies when anemia is diagnosed during pregnancy but acknowledges that presumptive treatment for suspected iron deficiency anemia is common in practice. Currently ACOG does not recommend treating iron deficiency without anemia during pregnancy. Though the benefits of treating iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy are clear, the optimal route of iron repletion remains uncertain. Results of ongoing large, randomized trials will help define the optimal route of iron treatment for pregnant patients diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.

Sex, lies, and iron deficiency: a call to change ferritin reference ranges.

Iron deficiency is a very common and treatable disorder. Of all the tests available to diagnose iron deficiency, the serum ferritin is the most able to discriminate iron deficiency from other disorders. However, the reference range for ferritin in many laboratories will lead to underdiagnosis of iron deficiency in women. Studies have shown that 30%-50% of healthy women will have no marrow iron stores, so basing ferritin cutoffs on the lowest 2.5% of sampled ferritins is not appropriate. In addition, several lines of evidence suggest the body physiologic ferritin "cutoff" is 50  ng/mL. Work is needed to establish more realistic ferritin ranges to avoid underdiagnosing a readily treatable disorder.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding from gastric antral vascular ectasia following cocaine use: case presentation and review of literature.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), also known as "Watermelon stomach", is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). It is characterized by an endoscopic appearance of flat red blood vessels traveling from the pylorus to the antrum. Patients often present with chronic blood loss resulting in iron deficiency anemia, or, less commonly, with acute gastropathy resulting in massive hemorrhage. The etiology of GAVE is unknown but the disorder has been more commonly observed in patients with cirrhosis, especially with portal hypertension, as well as in those with systemic sclerosis and other connective tissue disease. There is no definitive cure for GAVE, but the condition can be managed with a variety of endoscopic techniques, including heater probes, bipolar probes, plasma coagulators, laser therapy, and radiofrequency ablation. In rare cases, patients also require blood transfusions. Here we present an interesting case of upper GI bleeding resulting in symptomatic anemia in a 69-year-old female patient with GAVE following cocaine use. The patient was initially admitted for fatigue and shortness of breath and required multiple units of pRBCs. She was also found to have a urine drug screen positive for cocaine. Following stabilization, she underwent endoscopy which revealed the characteristic "watermelon stomach" appearance consistent with GAVE syndrome. The patient was discharged on an oral proton-pump inhibitor with instructions to follow-up outpatient with Gastroenterology. This case is presented as an example of a risk factor for acute exacerbation of a rare cause of UGIB. This patient presentation also represents an example of the importance of strict follow-up for those with risk factors for exacerbation of chronic GI conditions.

Management of perioperative iron deficiency anemia as part of patient blood management in France: A budget impact model-based analysis based on real world data.

OBJECTIVES: Patient Blood Management (PBM) is defined as a patient-centered, systematic, evidence-based approach to improve patient outcomes by managing and preserving a patient's own blood, while promoting patient safety and empowerment. As a corollary, it also reduces the utilization of allogeneic blood components. However, demonstrating cost-effectiveness depends on the health insurance system considered. This analysis aims to estimate the one-year budget impact of PBM in four elective surgical areas, from French National Health Insurance and hospital perspectives. METHODS: A budget impact model was developed to estimate the difference in the cost of care between scenarios with and without PBM. The impact of hematopoiesis optimization (first pillar of PBM) was studied throughout the management of preoperative anemia and iron deficiency in four types of surgeries: orthopedic, cardiac & cardiovascular, vascular & thoracic, and urologic & visceral surgery. Estimation of model's parameters was based on data collected in 10 French hospitals, literature, and on data from the French national medico-administrative database. RESULTS: A total of 980,125 patients were modeled for all four therapeutic areas. Results shows that implementation of a PBM program could generate annual savings up to €1079 M from the French National Health Insurance perspective (€1018 M from the hospital perspective), and the sparing of 181,451 red blood cells units per year. The deterministic sensitivity analysis showed that PBM generates savings for both perspectives in most parameters tested. CONCLUSION: Implementing PBM programs could result in important savings for the health care system in France.

Anemia: Microcytic Anemia.

Microcytic anemia is defined as anemia with a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of less than 80 mcm3 in adults. Age-specific parameters should be used for patients younger than 17 years. The cause of microcytic anemia includes acquired and congenital causes, which should be considered separately according to the age of the patient, risk factors, and coexisting signs and symptoms. The most common cause of microcytic anemia is iron deficiency anemia; it can be managed with oral or intravenous iron, depending on the severity and comorbid conditions of the affected individual. Pregnant patients and patients with heart failure with iron deficiency anemia require special considerations to prevent significant morbidity and mortality. The wide spectrum of thalassemia blood disorders should be considered in patients with a particularly low MCV in the absence of systemic iron deficiency. Iron chelation may be required for some of these patients. Sickle cell anemia and sideroblastic anemia are important inherited causes of microcytic (as well as normocytic) anemia. Promising treatments are being developed for patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.

Umbilical cord management - the first opportunity to improve healthcare disparities.

This review focuses on iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in women and children in the United States. These are common, fixable problems that disproportionally affect minority populations. There are many opportunities for successful screening and management. The knowledge and awareness for identification and treatment of our populations' commonest deficiency is crucial.

PRISM study-Pre-natal iron deficiency screening and management within an Australian regional centre.

INTRODUCTION: Current Australian guidelines differ in their recommendations on optimal iron deficiency anaemia screening and management during pregnancy. A more active approach to screening and treatment of iron deficiency in pregnancy has been beneficial within a tertiary population. However, this approach has not been evaluated within a regional healthcare setting. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical impact of standardised screening and management for iron deficiency in pregnancy within a regional Australian centre. DESIGN: Single centre, retrospective cohort observational study that audited medical records pre and post implementation of standardised screening and management for antenatal iron deficiency. We compared rates of anaemia at birth, rates of peripartum blood transfusions and rates of peripartum iron infusions. FINDINGS: There were 2773 participants with 1372 participants in the pre-implementation group and 1401 in the post-implementation group. Participant demographics were similar. Anaemia at admission for birth decreased from 35% to 30% (RR 0.87, 95% CI (0.75, 1.00), p 0.043) Fewer blood transfusions were required (16 (1.2%) pre-implementation, 6 (0.4%) post-implementation, RR 0.40, 95% CI(0.16, 0.99), p 0.048). Antenatal iron infusions increased from 12% to 18% of participants post implementation (RR 1.47, 95% CI(1.22, 1.76), p 〈0.001).We audited compliance with the guidelines and found improvements post implementation. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to show clinically useful and statistically significant reduction in rates of anaemia and blood transfusions, post implementation of routine ferritin screening and management within a regional Australian population. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest there is benefit to implementation of standardised ferritin screening and management packages in Australian antenatal care. It also encourages RANZCOG to review current recommendations on screening for iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy.