ABSTRACT
The definition of anaemia is a reduction in the Hb concentration of the blood. The Hb concentration must be more than two standard deviations below the mean for a population of healthy people of the same age and sex. Anaemia is extremely common, and globally constitutes an enormous health problem. The most common causes in the developing world are malnutrition, increased circulatory demands, hookworm infection, and malaria. The most common causes are menorrhagia in premenopausal women, and gastrointestinal bleeding in postmenopausal women and in men. Systematic examination is important when considering both the severity and the cause of anaemia. Pancytopenia is a reduction in the peripheral circulation of red cells, white cells, and platelets. Anaemia always requires further investigation, particularly within the context of pancytopenia.
