Survival After Wait-and-See Approach in Older Patients With Unexplained Iron Deficiency Anemia in Primary Care: A Practice Evaluation

Guidelines recommend upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic evaluation for patients without a clear physiological explanation for iron deficiency anemia (IDA). However, the consequences of watchful waiting in older patients with unexplained IDA in general practice are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics and survival of patients with an unexplained IDA in general practice who refrain from medical specialist evaluation.