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Indian Pediatr 2018;55: 615-616 |
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Treat Worm Infestation Before Proceeding Further in Cases of
Anemia
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Arun Prasad* and Pratap Patra
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar,
India.
Email: [email protected]
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We read with interest the recent publication in Indian Pediatrics
by Narang, et al. [1], and have the following comments to offer:
1. Anemia is commonly associated with Celiac
disease [2]. This research article would be useful in making the
clinician more aware of possibility of celiac disease in cases of
unexplained anemia.
2. The subset of excluded patients does not
include information about the patients with worm infestation;
although, stool examination was performed in the study. It is an
important information because a sizable number of children in our
country have worm infestation as an important identifiable cause of
anemia [3,4]. If worm infestation is detected, it should be treated
before proceeding for any further workup. Other conditions,
including celiac disease should be suspected if anemia does not
respond to anthelminthic and iron therapy.
References
1. Narang M, Natarajan R, Shah D. Celiac disease in
children with moderate to severe iron deficiency anemia. Indian Pediatr.
2018;55:31-4.
2. Singh P, Arora S, Makharia GK. Presence
of anemia in patients with celiac disease suggests more severe disease.
Indian J Gastroenterol. 2014;33:161-4.
3. Bharti B, Bharti S, Khurana S. Worm infestation:
Diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Indian J Pediatr. 2017, Nov 11. [Epub
ahead of print].
4. Acharya AS, Kaur R, Goel AD. Neglected tropical
diseases – challenges and opportunities in India. Indian J Med
Specialities. 2010;8:102-8.
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