Search

Introduction: Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is most prevalent nutritional deficiency observed worldwide. The elderly population is particularly susceptible. It is a significant risk factor for increased mortality and morbidity, reducing mobility and quality of life. Currently less Indian data is available for incidentally detected anaemia in elderly. The known causes of anaemia in elderly are nutritional, anaemia of chronic disease and malignancy. Aim: To evaluate the haematological profile and to identify potential aetiologies of anaemia in elderly who had an incidental diagnosis of anaemia. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study, which included 90 incidentally diagnosed patients with anaemia above 60 years of age, admitted in Bharati Hospital and Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India during March 2021 to September 2022. Complete Blood Counts (CBCs) with peripheral blood smear, Haematocrit (Hct), reticulocyte counts, Red Blood Cells (RBC) indices like Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and cell morphology were all examined for each patient. The statistical programme Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 26.0) was used to analyse the data. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the qualitative parameters. Results: The mean age was 66.44±5.87 years; 52 (57.8%) were men, and 38 (42.2%) were women. The most prevalent co-morbid conditions were diabetes and hypertension. The common clinical signs observed were pallor, oedema, knuckle pigmentation. In this study, IDA was the most frequent aetiology 53 (58.9%), second being megaloblastic anaemia 24 (26.7%), followed by dimorphic anaemia 13 (14.4%). Gastritis was commonest finding on gastroscopy. Conclusion: Anaemia is a common finding amongst elderly population which remains undiagnosed and is ignored. The main cause is nutritional deficiency leading to IDA, megaloblastic anaemia or dimorphic anaemia. Hence, geriatric population should undergo regular screening for early recognition of anaemia. Further large population studies are required for detailed evaluation to determine the causes of anaemia in elderly.

INTRODUCTION: The recent corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic overwhelmed the medical system. Preexisting comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension greatly influenced the course and outcome of this viral illness, especially in the elderly population. Laboratory parameters such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L), serum ferritin, serum D-dimer, and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) have also been correlated with the severity of the disease in these patients. The present study aims to assess the determinants of severity of COVID-19 disease in an attempt to improve the prognostication and management of health care resources during a pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 544 confirmed adult patients infected with COVID-19, who were admitted in Bharati Hospital and Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India, were included in this retrospective, observational study from February 2021 to June 2021. All patients were classified into mild, moderate and severe group according to the severity of the disease. Demographic, epidemiological, and radiological characteristics of the patients were studied and possible determinants of the severity of the disease among them were assessed. RESULTS: This study found that the mean age in group 3 (severe illness) was significantly higher than the other groups. Significantly, patients in group 3 were found to have preexisting diabetes mellitus and hypertension more than the other groups. The average values of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, serum ferritin, LDH, random blood glucose level, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were significantly correlated with the severity of COVID-19 illness. Patients who had consolidation findings on chest radiography and high computed tomography severity score (CT-SS) were significantly associated with severe COVID-19 disease. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it has been observed that older age; comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, reactive protein, serum ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) are significantly associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection. Knowledge of these determinants of severity can help healthcare workers identify patients at high risk of deterioration, high rate of mortality, and high rate of morbidity.