TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Anemia A1 - David, Alan K. A2 - South-Paul, Jeannette E. A2 - Matheny, Samuel C. A2 - Lewis, Evelyn L. Y1 - 2020 N1 - T2 - CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Family Medicine, 5e AB - Anemia is defined as a reduced red blood cell (RBC) mass resulting in decreased oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Oxygen levels depend on the RBC mass, lung function, available erythropoietin (EPO), and the bone marrow. Some would define it as an abnormally low hematocrit/hemoglobin (H/H) level, but there are exceptions to this definition. Long-distance runners and pregnant women may have an increased plasma volume, diluting the H/H to abnormal or borderline low levels and suggesting a diagnosis of anemia when, in fact, the RBC mass and oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood are normal. Thus, the physiologic definition is most accurate. Anemia is the most frequent hematologic disorder seen by family physicians. Iron deficiency is the most common anemia seen in family medicine and the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. Children age 1–2 years (7%) and females age 12–48 years (8–16%) are the most commonly affected due to inadequate supply or increased requirement via blood loss, respectively. Anemia in men is most likely due to blood loss. Although in some instances elderly patients tend to have borderline low H/H levels, anemia in the elderly deserves evaluation instead of writing it off as an “anemia of aging.” SN - PB - McGraw Hill CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1173715669 ER -