Blanket antihelminthic therapy in iron deficiency anemia; right or wrong?

Iron deficiency anemia is a major health problem in adults. In developing nations empirical antihelminthics is advice in pediatric population with iron deficiency anemia, but the use is just extended to adult population frequently. Aim was to study the occurrence of helminthic infestation in cases of iron deficiency anemia. A descriptive study was done in 74 adult cases of iron deficiency anaemia diagnosed in Victoria hospital/ Bowring and Lady Curzon hospital-BMCRI. Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were evaluated with clinical survey for assessing hygeinic practices, dietary habits and socioeconomic status, blood smear, iron studies, stool ova/cyst by concentration method and endoscopy. The mean age was 45.8 ± 16.015 years. Median hemoglobin was 7.65g/dl (IQR 2.58). Only 5.4% of the entire patients had helminthic infestation which is statistically insignificant (p =0.288). Nutritional anemia 79.7%, malignancies 6.8% constituted other major causes of anemia. Although 90% of patients wore footwear, among patients with helminthic infestation 80% were walking barefoot (p= 0.005). Malignancies causing anemia were mainly found in age group above 60 yrs (p=0.003). No significant association was found between tea/coffee intake and nutritional anemia (p=1.0). This study shows no significant association between iron deficiency anemia and helminthic infestation in adults. Hence treating iron deficiency anaemia in adults with hygienic habits empirically with antihelminthics is questionable.