Evidence-based Egyptian clinical practice guidelines: for the prevention and management of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in infants, children and adolescents

Abstract

Background Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional disorder affecting all age groups. Infants and young children are vulnerable to anemia especially iron deficiency anemia (IDA), which represents a public health problem with defined impacts on the health of communities. IDA, however, is a preventable and treatable condition; therefore, early diagnosis represents the cornerstone in protection from its adverse consequences and combating its contributing factors. Several international guidelines for the management of ID/IDA are available, however national guidelines that can be implemented and suits our local needs are lacking. Objective To adapt the pre-existing high-quality practice guidelines for the screening, prevention and management of ID/IDA in different pediatric age groups, to be available for the national use by general practitioners, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. Results The adaptation group for this guideline included key leaders from different Egyptian institutions. The panel used the ADAPTE methodology for adaptation of guidelines. The panel prioritized the health questions and recommendations according to their importance for clinicians and patients. The procedure included searching for existing guidelines, quality appraisal, and adaptation of the recommendations to the target context of use. The guideline covered all important aspects of detection, identification of infants, children, and adolescents at high risk of developing ID/IDA, proper management, and prevention. The final version of the adapted clinical practice guideline has been made after thorough review of an external review panel and was guided by their official recommendations and modifications. Implementation tools included algorithms, tables, and flow charts to aid decision making in practice, as well as patient-directed information in the Arabic language. Conclusions This adapted guideline serves as a tool for the screening, prevention and management of ID/IDA in different pediatric age groups.