Official publication of Rawalpindi Medical University
Latent Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Hypoferritinemic Patients
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How to Cite

1.
 MasoomaRaza,SaminaT.Amanat,TariqHussain,HumaAbdulShakoor,MuhammadAsghar. Latent Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Hypoferritinemic Patients. JRMC [Internet]. 2014 Jun. 30 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];18(1). Available from: https://journalrmc.com/index.php/JRMC/article/view/411

Abstract

Background : To find out the frequency of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and latent iron deficiency (LID) amongst hypoferritinemic individuals
Methods : In this descriptive study individuals (n=1821) who were referred for serum ferritin estimation, for a period of one year were included. Ferritin levels were assayed by enhanced chemiluminisence method. Haemoglibin levels were also estimated in all these subjects.Those hypoferritinemic subjects were excluded from the study whose haemoglobin levels were not performed on the same day as serum ferritin assay, with raised C-reactive proteins or had leukocytosis. Male patients having haemoglobin <13g/dl and female patients with haemoglobin <12 g/dl were considered anaemic. Children from 2-12 years were included in this study and children having haemoglobin below 10 g/dl were considered anaemic. Patients with normal haemoglobin, but with low serum ferritin were considered as suffering from latent iron deficiency anaemia Normal range of serum ferritin for adult male subjects was 12-300 ng/ml, for adult female subjects is 10-150 ng/ml and for children serum ferritin of 17-464 ng/ml was considered normal.
Results: Total number 1821 samples of serum ferritin were assayed by enhanced chemiluminesence method out of which 458 (25.15 %) number of patients had low serum ferritin. 981(53.87%) subjects had normal ferritin levels and 382(20.97%) patients had high ferritin levels. In hypoferritinemic patients gender distribution included total of adult males 88 (19.21%) adult females 222 (48.47 %) and 148 (32.31 %) children greater than 2 years.Subjects with low serum ferritin were divided into two groups latent iron deficient group and iron deficiency anaemic patients. Latent iron deficiency (LID) was seen in 19.43% . Mean serum ferritin was low in IDA as compared to LID .
Conclusions: Latent iron deficiency may be missed if hemoglobin levels are taken as sole marker of anemia. Ferritin levels must be assayed for assessing body iron stores.

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