Question

The healthcare provider is seeing four patients at the neighborhood clinic. Which of these patients should the healthcare provider identify to be most at risk for iron-deficiency anemia?

Choose 1 answer:

A. The patient who has a diagnosis of chronic renal failure.
B. The woman of childbearing age reporting a craving for ice.
C. The obese patient with a history of gastric bypass surgery.
D. The patient who follows a strict vegan diet.

Answer 1

The woman of childbearing age with a craving for ice (B) is most likely to be at risk for iron-deficiency anemia, given the association between pica and anemia, and the high prevalence of this condition in women of childbearing age.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the patients described, the individual most at risk for iron-deficiency anemia would be B. The woman of childbearing age reporting a craving for ice. This condition, known as pica, is often associated with iron-deficiency anemia, which affects about 20% of all women of childbearing age in the United States. This demographic typically experiences blood loss during menstruation, which can lead to this type of anemia. Iron supplements are often used to treat or prevent iron-deficiency anemia in such cases.

While chronic renal failure (A) can impact iron levels due to poor kidney function affecting erythropoietin production, obesity with a history of gastric bypass surgery (C), and a strict vegan diet (D) can all contribute to anemia, the presentation of pica in a woman of childbearing age specifically points to iron-deficiency anemia as the probable diagnosis.