Pathology related to cause of anaemia at one year
| No (%) control | No (%) intervention | No (%) total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n=204) | (n=227) | (n=431) | |
| GI, gastrointestinal; NAD, nothing abnormal detected. | |||
| *Confirmed cause may include “minor pathology” such as gastritis or diverticular disease if patient has been fully investigated and no other cause found, or condition stated causative by clinician. | |||
| †Includes five cases of coeliac disease. | |||
| ‡Includes menorrhagia with or without confirmed fibroids. | |||
| §Provisional/assumed cause includes “minor pathology” when only upper or lower tract investigated, or other assumptions such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug related bleeding if stated in notes. | |||
| Confirmed pathology* | 68 (33) | 60 (26) | 128 (30) |
| Gastric/oesophageal cancer | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Colorectal cancer | 15 | 17 | 32 |
| Other upper GI conditions† | 16 | 16 | 32 |
| Other lower GI conditions | 17 | 17 | 34 |
| Other cancer | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Overt blood loss‡ | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Other causes | – | – | – |
| Provisional/assumed pathology§ | 45 (22) | 57 (25) | 102 (24) |
| Other upper GI conditions | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| Other lower GI conditions | 16 | 24 | 40 |
| Other cancer | 1 | – | 1 |
| Overt blood loss‡ | 5 | 13 | 18 |
| Other causes | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| No diagnosis apparent | 91 (45) | 110 (48) | 201 (47) |
| Patient died | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Full investigation, NAD | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Partial investigation, NAD | 6 | 16 | 22 |
| Ongoing investigation | 2 | – | 2 |
| No investigation | 47 | 45 | 92 |
| Investigation not appropriate | 20 | 19 | 39 |
| Patient refused | 8 | 22 | 30 |