[Screening for anemias in 500 healthy adults]

The clinical cards of 500 healthy adults undergoing check-up have been analysed with a view to picking out clinical and laboratory parameters pointing to anemia. Statistical processing of the data led to a finding of anemia in more than 4% of the people examined. None of the clinical parameters was of assistance in highlighting anemia. Of the laboratory data, the haemochrome finding was the most selective. Further study of information arising out of the haemochrome finding made it possible to identify essentially two forms of anemia: deficiency and microcytic. The study has shown that anemia is a frequent disease and screening is justified. To set in motion a programme of this type, it is enough to carry out a complete haemochrome test; screening is thus cheap and easy to carry out within any health structure.