Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anemia. The 2 main etiologies of iron deficiency are blood loss due to menstrual periods and blood loss due to gastrointestinal bleeding . Beyond anemia, lack of iron has protean manifestations, including fatigue, hair loss, and restless legs . The most efficient test for the diagnosis of iron deficiency is the serum ferritin . Iron replacement can be done orally, or in patients in whom oral iron is not effective or contraindicated, with intravenous iron.