Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?

Background: Elevated serum ferritin is commonly encountered in general practice. Ninety percent of elevated serum ferritin is due to noniron overload conditions, where venesection therapy is not the treatment of choice. Objective: This article aims to outline the role of the Australian Red Cross Blo...

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Main Authors: Goot, K., Hazeldine, S., Bentley, P., Olynyk, John, Crawford, D.
Format: Journal Article
Published: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/december/elevated-serum-ferritin/
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25083
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author Goot, K.
Hazeldine, S.
Bentley, P.
Olynyk, John
Crawford, D.
author_facet Goot, K.
Hazeldine, S.
Bentley, P.
Olynyk, John
Crawford, D.
author_sort Goot, K.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Elevated serum ferritin is commonly encountered in general practice. Ninety percent of elevated serum ferritin is due to noniron overload conditions, where venesection therapy is not the treatment of choice. Objective: This article aims to outline the role of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Therapeutic Venesection program, to clarify the interpretation of the HFE gene test and iron studies, and to describe the steps in evaluating a patient with elevated serum ferritin. Discussion: After exclusion of hereditary haemochromatosis, investigation of elevated serum ferritin involves identifying alcohol consumption, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, malignancy, infection or inflammation as causative factors. Referral to a gastroenterologist, haematologist or physician with an interest in iron overload is appropriate if serum ferritin is >1000 µg/L or if the cause of elevated serum ferritin is still unclear.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T07:55:27Z
publishDate 2012
publisher The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-250832017-01-30T12:46:39Z Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know? Goot, K. Hazeldine, S. Bentley, P. Olynyk, John Crawford, D. haemochromatosis iron venesection Background: Elevated serum ferritin is commonly encountered in general practice. Ninety percent of elevated serum ferritin is due to noniron overload conditions, where venesection therapy is not the treatment of choice. Objective: This article aims to outline the role of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Therapeutic Venesection program, to clarify the interpretation of the HFE gene test and iron studies, and to describe the steps in evaluating a patient with elevated serum ferritin. Discussion: After exclusion of hereditary haemochromatosis, investigation of elevated serum ferritin involves identifying alcohol consumption, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, malignancy, infection or inflammation as causative factors. Referral to a gastroenterologist, haematologist or physician with an interest in iron overload is appropriate if serum ferritin is >1000 µg/L or if the cause of elevated serum ferritin is still unclear. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25083 http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/december/elevated-serum-ferritin/ The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners restricted
spellingShingle haemochromatosis
iron
venesection
Goot, K.
Hazeldine, S.
Bentley, P.
Olynyk, John
Crawford, D.
Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?
title Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?
title_full Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?
title_fullStr Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?
title_full_unstemmed Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?
title_short Elevated serum ferritin: What should GPs know?
title_sort elevated serum ferritin: what should gps know?
topic haemochromatosis
iron
venesection
url http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/december/elevated-serum-ferritin/
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25083