Fazal Rahim Khan, Muhammad Laved Asif, Abdul Haye.
Frequency of iron deficiency in children with hypochromia and microcytosis on blood smears
Proceeding Shaikh Zayed Postgrad Med Inst Jun 2002;16(1):19-23.
Department Haematology, Shaikh Zayed Medical Complex, Lahore

Objective: To see the frequency of iron deficiency in children with hypochromic and microcytic anaemias. Design: Prospective study. Place and duration of study: Department of Haematology Shaikh Zayed Hospital and FPGMI Lahore, Pakistan, from January 1993 to June 1993. Subjects: 85 anaemic patients (60 male and 25 female) with MCV <76 fl/cell and MCHC <30 g/dl of red cells were included. Methods: Blood counts were performed on Sysmex K1000 Haematology analyser, serum iron, TIBC colorimetrically and serum ferritin on ELISA method according to the instruction sheet of the manufacturer. Serum Ferritin concentration less than 12 ng/ml was taken as index of iron deficiency. Results: Out of 85 patients 78 (92%) were iron deficient. Conclusion: Iron deficiency was the commonest cause of hypochromia and microcytosis in children. No red cell parameters could be relied upon for the diagnosis of iron deficiency. Serum iron may be low or normal and TIBC raised or normal in patients with iron deficiency anaemia. The serum ferritin assay is the most sensitive and specific index for iron stores as compared to blood counts, serum iron and TIBC.

Category: Haematology
Keywords: Anemia. Iron. Iron Deficiency Anemia. Ferritin.

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