Anemia in the family medicine outpatient clinic

Abstract: Family medicine doctors daily meet patients with anemia that has been detected after routine laboratory diagnostic due to other diseases or preoperative diagnostic. The differential diagnosis of certain types of anemia is wide, and it is possible that several types of anemia can be present simultaneously. The presence of other diseases is possible as well. The basic approach to a patient includes targeted anamnesis, physical examination and laboratory diagnostics. Anemia directed therapy must be in some instances started immediately after the diagnosis of anemia, regardless that the exact cause of anemia has not yet been found. Depending on the laboratory findings, the patient‘s age and gender, the patient should be referred to the appropriate specialist for treatment, and the response to the applied therapy should be monitored. Once the exact cause of anemia has been discovered, specific treatment of the underlying disease that led to anemia can be started.

Key words:
anemia; family medicine; screening; treatment