Anemia in general practice. Which laboratory tests are requested--how are the results interpreted and what are the consequences to patient care.

Laboratory tests requested in patients with anemia by general practitioners were recorded together with the diagnostic problem, the practitioners' interpretation of the test results and the consequences to the further work-up and treatment of the patients. There is broad agreement as to selection of tests to diagnose fairly well-established clinical entities. With more composite or complex disease patterns, the request patterns differ, not only with the diagnostic problem, but more so with the physicians. Some tests are requested with results very seldom outside the reference range (e.g. cobalamins and folate) and some on indications notoriously prone to give false positive results (e.g. serum iron in patients with anemia of chronic diseases). As part of future quality control programs proper use of laboratory tests should be important topics as joint projects between clinical chemists, general practitioners and clinicians.