Health encyclopaedia

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Diagnosis of Anaemia

The diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia is made on the basis of a blood test. Someone with this condition has a smaller than usual number of red cells in a given volume of blood. The cells are smaller, too, and contain less than the normal amount of haemoglobin.

Diagnosis may be more difficult when more than one type of anaemia is present. It may be necessary to carry out a wider range of investigations to detect reduced levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid. The levels of iron in the serum (derived from the blood taken for testing) can be measured, and in rare cases a sample of blood-forming bone marrow may be taken for examination.

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