Unchanged prevalence and increased severity of anemia from 2019 to 2022 in emergency care outpatients: A cross-sectional study from a tertiary care university hospital of Pécs, Hungary.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the prevalence of anemia in Hungary between 2019 and 2022 as detailed data in this regard was not available.MethodsThis retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study enrolled 85628 patients with a median age of 63 (44-76 interquartile range) years admitted to the Emergency Department of the University of Pécs, Hungary, between January, 2019, and December, 2022.ResultsThe overall prevalence of anemia was 22.68%. The prevalence of anemia did not change significantly during the study period (2019: 22.30%; 2020: 22.88%; 2021: 22.55%; 2022: 23.00%). However, the prevalence of severe anemia (Hgb<8g/dL) was higher compared to 2019, in each year (2019:2.00%; 2020:2.52%; 2021:2.60%; 2022:2.47%, p<0.001). The increase was observed in each analyzed year among the elderly male patients and in 2021 and 2022 among the elderly female patients. The rising number of patients with COVID-19 diagnosis presenting severe anemia may have contributed to this change. Among all anemic patients, the overall prevalence of microcytic and macrocytic anemia accounted for one-third, while hypochromic and hyperchromic anemia for half of the cases. Hypochromic anemia prevalence decreased and normochromic anemia prevalence increased significantly in each year. The prevalence of microcytic anemia decreased in the year 2020 compared to 2019, the changes being observed among the female patients only.ConclusionsOver the study period, anemia affected approximately one-quarter of the patients each year, while the proportion of severe anemia increased, especially in the elderly.