Guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anaemia

Abstract

Iron deficiency anaemia in men and postmenopausal women is most commonly caused by gastrointestinal blood loss or malabsorption. Examination of both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract is therefore an important part of the investigation of patients with such anaemia. In the absence of overt blood loss or any obvious cause, all patients should have upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, including small bowel biopsy, and colonoscopy or barium enema to exclude gastrointestinal malignancy. Further gastrointestinal investigation is only warranted in transfusion dependent anaemia or where there is visible blood loss. Treatment of an underlying cause will cure the anaemia but even when no cause is detected the long term outlook is good.