AETIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ACQUIRED ANAEMIA IN A PAEDIATRIC TERTIARY CARE SETTING

Authors

  • Saima Bibi
  • Syed Yasir Hussain Gilani
  • Syed Raza Ali Shah
  • Shawana Bibi

Abstract

Background: Anaemia is the commonest haematological disorder frequently faced by cliniciansworldwide. The multi-factorial aetiology of the disorder warrants a comprehensive search for thedifferent causes as management plans differ for different disorders. The objective of this study was toidentify the different acquired causes of anaemia in our paediatric population. Methods: The studywas conducted at the Department of Paediatrics, Ayub Teaching Hospital from April 2009 to April2010. It was a cross-sectional study. A total of 110 patients were included in the study who presentedwith anaemia secondary to acquired aetiologies and were assessed clinically using general physicaland systemic examination. The salient clinical and laboratory data was retrieved in designed protocol.Results: Out of a total of 110 patients, 61 (55.5%) were male and 49 (44.5%) were female. Meanage of the participants was 48 months. Nutritional anaemia comprising iron deficiency anaemia andmegaloblastic anaemia was the leading cause being present in 49 (44.5%) patients followed byVisceral Leishmaniasis in 28 (25.5%) patients. Mean haemoglobin was 4.36 g/dl. Conclusion:Anaemia secondary to acquired causes is a disorder with grave consequences ranging from cognitiveand psychomotor dysfunction to mortality in severe cases. Identification of the different acquiredcauses is important in preventing the disorder by guiding appropriate interventions.Keywords: Anaemia, nutritional, iron deficiency, megaloblastic, Visceral Leishmaniasis

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Published

2011-12-01

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