Occult Intestinal Bleeding as a Cause of Anæmia in Elderly People

Anaemia in Geriatric Patients

“…The only satisfactory solu tion, which we have now adopted, is that even for patients whose anaemia appears to be sufficiently explained by iron deficiency alone, vitamin Bj2 and folate assay is undertaken. Our findings confirm those of Bedford and Wollner (1958) that occult intestinal bleeding is a major cause of anaemia in the elderly. Dietary deficiency, as found by Hobson and Blackburn (1953), is also an important factor, our figures of malnutrition including only those cases in which dietary deficiency was gross.…”

Anaemia in a Group of Elderly Patients

“…Using 11.7 G. per 100 ml as a dividing line, and from repeated weekly estimations, Bedford and Wollner (1958) obtained a final incidence of anaemia of 41 %, with no difference between the sexes. They also noted a fluctuation of haemoglobin levels in individual patients.…”

Anaemia in the Elderly with Special Reference to Iron Deficiency

“…Most geriatric physicians would agree with that paragraph except the first sentence. Bedford and Wollner (1958) found anaemia in 41% of 156 cases admitted to the Oxford Geriatric Unit. They regarded gastrointes tinal blood loss as a major cause of the anaemia and pointed out that 78% of the anaemic patients had positive faecal occult blood tests (Gregersen slide test) whereas only 55% of the unselected admissions had a positive faecal occult blood test.…”