Iron Deficiency — Viva Defence

Opening statement (SASPOP, delivered aloud)

"Mrs Ward is a 61-year-old postmenopausal woman with confirmed, clinically significant iron-deficiency anaemia — Hb 82 with a ferritin of 11. Her main problems are: first, the anaemia itself and its symptoms; second, that iron deficiency in a postmenopausal woman is occult gastrointestinal blood loss until proven otherwise, so this is a potential malignancy presentation; and third, she needs iron replacement with a monitored response. I would like to assess her for GI and gynaecological sources, arrange bidirectional endoscopy and coeliac serology, and replete her iron with a defined follow-up plan." ^{[1] [3]}