PERNICIOUS ANEMIA

Course overview

PERNICIOUS ANEMIA IS A RELATIVELY RARE AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER THAT CAUSES DIMINISHMENT IN DIETARY VITAMIN B12 ABSORPTION, RESULTING IN B12 DEFICIENCY AND SUBSEQUENT MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA. IT AFFECTS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES WORLDWIDE, PARTICULARLY THOSE OVER 60. DESPITE THE ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING, MAKING THE DIAGNOSIS CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR CLINICIANS DUE TO ITS COMPLEXITY, BROAD SPECTRUM OF CLINICAL PRESENTATION, AND LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. ONCE DIAGNOSED, PROMPT TREATMENT WITH B12 SUPPLEMENTATION COMMONLY REVERSES THE PATIENT'S ANEMIA; HOWEVER, THEY WILL REQUIRE LIFELONG SUPPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT OF PERNICIOUS ANEMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.