The exclusion of hypochromia from the iron deficiency screen

Abstract

Oscar MP Jolobe Manchester Medical Society, Manchester, UKWhen the screening strategy for iron deficiency makes use of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) to the exclusion of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), as was the case in the recent study by Radia et al1 there is a risk of repeating the mistakes highlighted in a retrospective analysis of the management of anemia, microcytosis, and hypochromia in preoperative subjects in South Australia.2Read the original paper by Radia and colleagues.