Management of anaemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease – results of a questionnaire among Polish healthcare professionals

Introduction
Anaemia is the most common systemic and extraintestinal complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Its impact on quality of life is significant; hence, it is important for healthcare professionals to manage it correctly. Aim: To assess the knowledge among doctors about the diagnostics and treatment of anaemia in IBD patients.

Material and methods
The questionnaire survey was conducted among 169 doctors of different specialties. Eighty-seven (51.5%) of the respondents were gastroenterologists.

Results
97.7% (84) of gastroenterologists and 92.6% (75) of all responders replied that all IBD patients should be monitored for anaemia (p = 0.266); however, only one-third of gastroenterologists knew the exact haemoglobin cut-off level in men with Crohn’s disease. The necessity of monitoring vitamin B12 was indicated by 53.7% (36) of gastroenterologists and by 24.1 % (13) of other specialists (p = 0.002). Nine percent (6) of gastrologists and 3.7% (2) of other specialists screened for folic acid (p = 0.0431). 13.1% (11) of gastroenterologists and 35% (28) of other specialists frequently used iv iron (p = 0.003). 44.1% (26) of gastroenterologists and 52% (26) of other specialists administered between 1000 mg and 1500 mg of iv iron during hospitalization. Only 11.9 % (7) of GI-specialists and 2% (1) of non-GI-specialists administered total doses over 1500 mg (p = 0.155). 71% (62) of gastroenterologists and 73% (60) of all physicians did not observe any adverse events of iv iron.

Conclusions
Although the diagnostic approach to anaemia in IBD patients varies among respondents, knowledge of guidelines was slightly better among GI-professionals then among other doctors.