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    Anaemia in clinical practice by Professor C.K. Bodhinayake Source: Newsletter of the College of General Dental Practitioners of Sri Lanka Anaemia is present when haemoglobin (Hb) content is below the expected values for the age and sex.The cut off values defined by the WHO for men, non-pregnant women and pregnant women are 13, 12 and 11g/dL respectively. In children the cut off values are even lower (6-5 yrs 11g, 5-11 yrs 11.5g and 12-14 yrs 12 g). Anemia could result from a variety of causes which include reduction of Hb synthesis (Iron, B12, folate deficiency, Bone marrow disorders) or excessive blood loss through bleeding or hemolysis. Anemia is classified according to the size of red blood cells (RBC) into Microcytic Normocytic or Macrocytic anaemia for the purpose of investigations. Mean cell volume (MCV) of a normal RBC is 80-100 fl.The three commonest causes of anaemia in clinical practice are ...