Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Pallor to Detect Anemia among Pregnant Females Seeking Antenatal Care in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: One-third of the world's population is affected by anemia, and the vast majority of those who suffer from it live in developing countries. Eye, nail bed, facial, and palmer wrinkle coloration are some of the most classic indicators used to diagnose anemia in patients. This  study  is  design  to  determine  diagnostic  accuracy  of  clinical  pallor  to  detect  anemia  among  female.  If  results  of  this  study  show  high  accuracy  for  clinical  pallor  to  detect  anemia,  with  different  ethnic  background  and  color  complexion,  testing  for  pallor  can  be  used  as  an  effective  alternative  method. 

Objective: The goal of this study is to investigate the usefulness of clinical pallor in identifying anemia in pregnant women who attend the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital, with the level of blood hemoglobin serving as the gold standard.

Methodology:

Settings: Department  of  Gynecology  and  Obstetrics  Ward  8,  Jinnah  Postgraduate  and  Medical  Centre,  Karachi.

Duration: 06  Months  from  29-03-2017  to  29-09-2017

Design: Cross  sectional  Validation  Study

Subject  and  Methods: There were 393 pregnant women that participated in this study. They all sought prenatal care at the Emergency Clinic or the Outpatient Department. Hemoglobin concentrations in the patient's blood were recorded in the investigation's chart as the reference variable. On  the  same  day  five  milliliters  of  blood  was  drawn  for  assessment  of  iron  deficiency  anemia.  Tubes  were  transported  to  the  laboratory  of  the  hospital.  Results  of  the  laboratory  tests  were  evaluated  when  available.

Results: The average  age  of  the  patients  was  28.17±5.07  years.    Sensitivity,  specificity,  PPV,  NPV  and  accuracy  of  clinical  pallor  was  94.1%,  51.9%,  40.7%,  96.2%  and  62.8%  respectively. 

Conclusion: Finally, even if hemoglobin or hematocrit levels cannot be measured directly, clinical pallor examination can still be performed. This is a good way to tell if a person is suffering from severe anemia. Clinical pallor of the palms is superior than clinical pallor of the buccal mucosa, nail bed, or conjunctiva in the diagnosis of mild and severe anemia in children. Nail bed and conjunctival clinical pallor is less common. Medical professionals who are new to clinical pallor might learn about its diagnosis and management by observing it from multiple angles.