A Detailed Study Of Five Stages Of Iron Deficiency In Patients With Severe Anaemia Due To Hookworm Infection

Objective:A detailed study of 5 stages of iron deficiency was donein patients with severe anaemia due to hookworm infection.

Methods: A study of 1307 patients who had undergoneupper gastro-intestinal endoscopyfor a period of 5yearsand one monthfrom May 2009 to May 2014was carried out.In all the patients found to have hookworms in duodenum,investigations were done to know about the presence of anaemia. In patients with severe anaemia,peripheral smear examination was also done in addition to haemoglobinestimation . But in one patient with severe anaemia, serum ferritin, transferrin saturation,serum iron,mean corpuscular volume or MCV, mean corpuscular haemoglobin or MCHwere also done in addition to haemoglobin estimationand peripheral smear examination. Symptoms and signs of the patient were also noted. The results were found as given below.

Results: In one patient with severe anaemiadue to hookworm infection, serum ferritinwhich indicate first stage of iron deficiency, transferrin saturation and serum iron which indicate second stage ,haemoglobin estimation which indicate third stage,mean corpuscular volume or MCV and mean corpuscular haemoglobin or MCH which indicate fourth stage of iron deficiency were all found to be very low  The peripheral smear of the patient showed severe microcytic hypochromic anaemia which also indicate fourth stage of iron deficiency. The patient also had symptoms and signs of iron deficiency such as shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, and pallor which indicate fifth or very late stage of iron deficiency.

Conclusion:Henceestimationofserum ferritin ,transferrin saturation ,serum iron,haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) andsymptoms and signs of iron deficiencyindicatethevariousstages of iron deficiencyin patients with severe anaemia due to hookworm infection.