Abstract
Objective: To determine the type and severity of anemia in elderly hospitalized patients and their association
with comorbidities.
Study Design: Descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: Medical Department of Pakistan Railways Hospital from October 2015 to
September 2016.
Materials and Methods: One hundred elderly patients admitted in the Medical Ward of Pakistan Railways
Hospital were selected by non- probability convenient sampling. We investigated the frequency of anemia in
these patients and its relationship to common comorbidities in this age group such as hypertension, diabetes,
heart disease and chronic kidney disease etc. Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization
(WHO) criteria: Hemoglobin <13 g/dL in males and <12 g/dL in females. The patients were classified according
to the severity of anemia as well as morphological type of anemia based on hemoglobin level, blood cell indices
and peripheral film Three grades of anemia were differentiated as per WHO criteria: mild (hemoglobin
between 11g/dl and lower limit of normal), moderate (hemoglobin between 8 g/dl and 10.9 g/dl), and severe
(hemoglobin <8g/dl). Microcytic anemia was defined as mean corpuscular volume (MCV) below 77 fl,
normocytic as MCV between 77 fl and 96 fl, and macrocytic by an MCV above 96 fl. Data analysis was done on
the basis of symptomatology and routine laboratory parameters done on hospital admission.
Results: Out of the 100 patients studied, 63% were found to be anemic. The frequency of mild, moderate and
severe anemia was 57%, 30% & 12% respectively. Normocytic normochromic anemia was the predominant
morphological type seen in 61.9 % patients. Nearly half (49%) of the anemic patients had 3 or more
comorbidities as compared to 21% non- anemic patients and the correlation was statistically significant at 0.01
level (p value 0.009). Chronic kidney disease was thrice as common in anemic patients and had a significant
association with anemia.
Conclusion: Anemia is a frequent occurrence in hospitalized geriatric patients and is directly related to the
number of comorbidities. Early diagnosis and management of anemia can have a significant impact on the
overall disease outcome in elderly patients and should be part of a comprehensive geriatric assessment.
Shamaila Burney, Muhammad Farooq, Ahsan Ahmad Alvi. (2018) Anemia in Elderly Hospitalized Patients: Frequency and Association with Comorbidities, Journal of Islamic International Medical College, Volume-13, Issue-4.
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