ABSTRACT

Practical Approach to Anemia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Enfoque práctico de la anemia en enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal

Cyrla Zaltman, Department of Clinical Medicine, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro, HUCFF/UFRJ, Rio de Janerio, RJ, Brazil
Valeria Cristina Loureiro-Salgado, Department of Clinical Medicine, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro â?? HUCFF/UFRJ, Rio de Janerio â?? RJ, Brazil
Marcia Henriques Magalhaes-Costa, Department of Clinical Medicine, Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense â?? HUAP/UFF, Niterói â?? RJ, Brazil

Anemia is a frequent complication of inflammatory bowel disease and is associated with poor quality of life, low productivity, and hospitalizations. The aim of this paper is to review the pathogenesis of anemia in inflammatory bowel disease, simplifying its differential diagnosis and management. As anemia in inflammatory bowel disease often has a multifactorial cause, its diagnosis among iron deficiency anemia, anemia of chronic disease, and others causes of anemia is crucial for the appropriate treatment. All inflammatory bowel disease patients should be screened for anemia and the disease activity checked. The presence of iron deficiency with or without anemia must be treated with intravenous iron as the first-line therapy. The use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and blood transfusions should be reserved for exceptional cases. The therapeutic approach of choice of anemia in inflammatory bowel disease is the treatment of the underline disease.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease. Anemia. Iron deficiency. Anemia of chronic disease. Transferrin saturation. Ferritin.

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