Abstract
Answer C. Refer urgently for upper and lower gastrointestinal investigation
In men and postmenopausal women, iron deficiency anaemia should be assumed to be due to gastrointestinal blood loss until proven otherwise, and investigation for malignancy is essential. Guidance recommends urgent bidirectional endoscopy (upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy) to exclude gastrointestinal cancer or other bleeding pathology. While medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can contribute, they should not delay investigation for a potential malignant source of bleeding.
InnovAiT article: Iron deficiency anaemia. DOI: 10.1177/17557380261435907.
DOI: 10.1177/17557380261446499j