Anemia is commonly encountered in incarcerated patients and can be the result of either benign or malignant conditions. Identifying the underlying etiology is the first step to correcting the problem. A careful review of the complete blood count can assist the health care provider in identifying the etiology and dictate the actions needed to correct the problem.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how to recognize early signs and symptoms of anemia
• Differentiate anemia according to mean corpuscular volume values
• Discuss the approach to work-up and treatment of iron deficiency anemia

Level: Basic