Feature Articles for Medical Professionals
NAAC publishes feature articles for medical professionals diagnosing and treating anemia. Each article is reviewed and approved by our anemia experts helping explain how the discussed topic may impact you, your practice or medical organization. Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear what you thought. Feel free to contact us about an article you just read or to suggest a topic for a future article.
October 21, 2009
Anemia can be a consequence of nutritional deficiencies or chronic diseases, but it may also occur from the treatment of the disease itself. Several types of drugs have been reported to cause different forms of anemia, including aplastic anemia, megaloblastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, and anemia caused by blood loss, chronic inflammation or suppression of red blood cell production. This article outlines a range of medications which can lead to these types of anemia so that you may be able to prevent or minimize drug-induced cases of anemia.
June 17, 2009
Conditions of the digestive tract are some of the most common ailments that can cause anemia, often through a variety of mechanisms. They include inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hepatitis C, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcers, celiac disease, bleeding and post-operative conditions such as resection of the ileum, total gastectomy and gastric bypass surgery. To effectively manage both the underlying condition and anemia, primary care physicians and gastroenterologits must pay close attention to the knowledge patients can impart about their symptoms and state of their health.
April 2, 2009
Of these roughly one million monthly blood donors, about 10% are deferred from donation because their hematocrit level falls below the FDA-mandated threshold of 38%. This deferral may be the first time donors discover that they have anemia or are considered borderline anemic. Concerned about their health and their ability to donate, some deferred donors may consult their doctors and other medical professionals to find out how to raise their blood counts and to check to make sure their anemia is not a signal of a more serious health issue. To help professionals answer patient’s questions about being deferred from blood donation, we've covered information about why a low hematocrit level Leads to deferral, differences in screening tests, and the importance of diagnosing the cause of anemia after deferral.
December 3, 2008
Anemia is an important concern for the surgical patient throughout the entire surgical process and should be viewed as a significant clinical condition, rather than simply an abnormal laboratory value. It is estimated that one-third to one-half of surgical patients may be anemic preoperatively secondary to the conditions for which they require surgery. Yet anemia is commonly unrecognized and overlooked by physicians and surgeons because it often exhibits very non-specific symptoms or no symptoms at all. Recognizing and treating anemia before any elective surgery is extremely important, and could be a life saving intervention.
Last Updated: November 19, 2009
