A serum ferritin level is now the most sensitive and specific assay for iron deficiency. Incidence of iron deficiency anemia was determined by means of the serum ferritin level and the response to iron therapy, and changes in serum ferritin level were observed in 421 hospitalized pediatric patients with various diseases. The results were as follows : 1. Incidence of anemia was 45% of total hospitalized patients. Incidence of iron deficiency anemia was 5.9% of total patients and 13.3% of patients with anemia. It was most common between 6 moths and 2 years of age. 2. Serum ferritin levels were below 10ng/ml in 20(range;1-8.8ng/ml) and between 13.2 -24.5ng/ml in 5 out of 25 patients with iron deficiency anemia. Determination of the serum ferritin level, therefore, was thought to be an accurate method for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia. 3. Mean serum ferritin levels were 152.1ng/ml in total patients, 143.4ng/ml in patients without anemia, 7.9ng/ml in patient with iron deficiency anemia, and 199.9ng/ml in patients with anemia of other causes. Iron deficiency anemia was easily differentiated from the anemia of other causes by serum ferritin level. 4. Serum ferritin levels were elevated to significantly higher level in leukemia, aplastic anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, liver diseases and chronic infections.
Anemia ; Anemia, Aplastic ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Diagnosis ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iron* ; Leukemia ; Liver Diseases ; Moths