Iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic disease in geriatric hospitalized patients: How frequent are comorbidities as an additional explanation for the anemia?

Aim: Anemia is an important clinical problem in older patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether comorbidities as an additional explanation for the severity of the anemia are frequent, and might help to explain the anemia severity in older patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and the anemia of chronic disease (ACD).

Methods: In the present prospective study, 191 consecutive hospitalized older patients with IDA and the ACD were investigated.

Is analysis of the reticulocyte haemoglobin equivalent a useful test for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia in geriatric patients?

Background: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) are common in elderly patients but there are no standard diagnostic criteria. The reticulocyte haemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He) is routinely measured by modern automated blood analysers and is an early indicator of iron deficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Ret-He level as calculated by the Sysmex XE-5000 automated blood analyser is a useful parameter for the diagnosis of IDA in a geriatric hospitalized population.

The many faces of Merlin: IgG4-associated pulmonary-renal disease.

Pulmonary-renal syndrome is a common and serious disorder with a broad differential diagnosis. We describe a case of a middle-aged man presenting with interstitial pulmonary disease and severe renal impairment caused by a hypocomplementemic immune-complex-mediated interstitial nephritis. Serum levels of IgG4 were elevated, and renal biopsy specimens revealed the presence of interstitial IgG4(+) plasma cells.

Potential role of remote monitoring for scheduled and unscheduled evaluations of patients with an implantable defibrillator.

Aims: Follow-up of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients, with regular in-office visits every 3-6 months, puts a significant burden on specialized electrophysiology clinics. New technology allows for remote monitoring of device function. We wanted to investigate its potential reliability and to which extent its use can reduce in-office visits.