Treatment Plan
Treatment Plan
Conservative:
- Diagnostic trial: 2-4 weeks of iron supplementation o Suitable for premenopausal women with menorrhagia and pregnant women o Not for men/postmenopausal women without ruling out GI causes o Monitor response:
- Ferrous sulphate/fumarate/gluconate: 1 tablet daily
- Continue 3 months after full correction
- If no 20g/L Hb increase, specialist input
Referral criteria:
- Urgent:
- Positive FIT
- <50 years with rectal bleeding – Post-menopausal bleeding >55 Routine:
GI referral:
- Men and postmenopausal women with iron deficiency anaemia without overt GI cause
- Premenopausal women <50 years with colonic symptoms/colorectal cancer family history/persistent IDA/don’t menstruate
- Men Hb <120 & post-menopausal women <100 should be investigated more urgently o >50 years with marked anaemia and significant cancer family history Gynaecology referral:
- for unresponsive menorrhagia