Severity and Types of Anemia in Female Patients: Experience froma Tertiary Care Hospital, Khulna

Abstract

Background: Anemia remains a common hematological disorder among females, with diverse severity, morphology and underlying etiology. Understanding its distribution across age groups is essential for better clinical evaluation and management. 

Objectives: To assess the severity, morphological patterns and etiological classification of anemia in non-pregnant female patients attending a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of Pathology, Gazi Medical College & Hospital, Khulna, including 248 anemic non-pregnant female patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Complete blood counts were performed using an automated hematology analyzer, while peripheral blood films aided morphological and etiological classification. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 26. Statistical associations were tested using chi-square analysis.

Results: The most affected age group was 18–40 years (47.6%). Moderate anemia was predominant across all age groups (59.3%), followed by mild (32.2%) and severe anemia (8.5%). Morphologically, normocytic normochromic anemia (NNA) was the most frequent type (64.9%), followed by microcytic hypochromic anemia (26.2%) and macrocytic anemia (8.9%). Etiologically, unclassified NNA was most common (42.3%), while iron deficiency anemia (IDA) accounted for 22.2%. Statistically significant associations were observed between anemia severity and both morphological types (p<0.005) and etiological classifications (p<0.001) respectively.

Conclusion: Moderate anemia and normocytic normochromic pattern were predominant among non-pregnant females, with  unclassified NNA and iron deficiency anemia being the leading etiological types. These findings highlight the need for thorough diagnostic evaluation to Identify underlying causes and guide appropriate management strategies.

J Dhaka National Med. Coll. Hos. 2026; 32 (01): 12-18