ABSTRACT
Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is defined as a haemoglobin concentration below 13.5 g/dL in males or 11.5 g/dL in females, in association with a low MCV and evidence of depleted iron stores (i.e. a low ferritin and a raised total ironbinding capacity). In the developed world, IDA is usually secondary to chronic blood loss from gastrointestinal, uterine and urinary tract sources. (Worldwide, hookworm infection and schistosomiasis are common causes.) In cases where the source of bleeding is obvious, further investigation is usually not necessary and treatment can begin. However, in many instances, bleeding goes unnoticed and is secondary to a more sinister cause such as gastrointestinal malignancy.
