A patient with iron deficiency anaemia and no obvious cause is 62 years old. What is the key investigation?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Gastrointestinal endoscopy
- Step 1: In older adults, iron deficiency suggests chronic gastrointestinal blood loss.
- Step 2: Colonoscopy and gastroscopy exclude malignancy.
Answer
Gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Why not the others: 'Bone marrow biopsy' is not the first test; 'Repeat oral iron only' treats the effect without finding the cause; 'Whole-body MRI scan' is not first-line.
Practise more Internal Medicine and Emergency Therapeutics.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed Qatar Healthcare Practitioner Licensing Exam (QCHP / DHP) mock tests.
More Internal Medicine and Emergency Therapeutics questions
- A 62-year-old male with long-standing hypertension presents with crushing substernal chest pressure radiating to his left jaw. ECG reveals 3…
- A 54-year-old female presents to the emergency department with fever, right flank pain, and dysuria. Blood pressure is 82/50 mmHg, heart rat…
- A 70-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presents with worsening dyspnea, increased sputum volume, and purulence…
- A 35-year-old woman presents with palpitations, heat intolerance, weight loss, and bilateral exophthalmos. Thyroid examination reveals a dif…
- A 28-year-old type 1 diabetic is admitted with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and Kussmaul breathing. Laboratory findings reveal blood gl…
- A 45-year-old male with alcohol use disorder presents with confusion, ataxia, and horizontal nystagmus. What medication must be administered…