Updated guidelines for immune thrombocytopenic purpura: Expanded management options.

The current American Society of Hematology (ASH) guidelines for the management of patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are an update to the 2011 guidelines. The updates focus on treating patients with ITP without bleeding in both outpatient and inpatient settings, including those with newly diagnosed, persistent, and chronic ITP refractory to first-line therapy. Recommendations for therapy include corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, anti-D immunoglobulin, rituximab, splenectomy, and thrombopoietin-receptor agonists, as well as observation.

Severe megaloblastic anemia: Vitamin deficiency and other causes.

Megaloblastic anemia causes macrocytic anemia from ineffective red blood cell production and intramedullary hemolysis. The most common causes are folate (vitamin B) deficiency and cobalamin (vitamin B) deficiency. Megaloblastic anemia can be diagnosed based on characteristic morphologic and laboratory findings.

Optimizing diagnostic biomarkers of iron deficiency anemia in community-dwelling Indian women and preschool children.

The detection of iron deficiency anemia is challenged by the paucity of diagnostic tests demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity. Using two biomarkers, zinc-protoporphyrin/heme and hepcidin, we established the diagnostic cut-off values for iron deficiency anemia in preschool children and women. We randomly selected non-anemic individuals (n=190; women=90, children=100) and individuals with iron deficiency anemia (n=200; women=100, children=100) from a preexisting cohort of healthy preschool children and their mothers.

Mobile phones: the next step towards healthcare delivery in rural India?

Background: Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use to support healthcare in the Indian context is inevitable. It is however necessary to assess end-user perceptions regarding mobile health interventions especially in the rural Indian context prior to its use in healthcare. This would contextualize the use of mobile phone communication for health to 70% of the country's population that resides in rural India.