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Table 3 Comparisons of 118 adults with pica and 144 adults without pica1

From: Pica associated with iron deficiency or depletion: clinical and laboratory correlates in 262 non-pregnant adult outpatients

Characteristic

Report of pica (n = 118)2

No report of pica (n = 144)

Value of p3

Age, y

50 ± 15

55 ± 17

0.0041

Women, % (n)

91.5 (108)

84.7 (122)

0.0943

White, % (n)

75.4 (89)

87.5 (126)

0.0113

Body mass index, kg/m2

29.7 ± 8.1

29.3 ± 7.7

0.6667

Fatigue, % (n)

46.6 (55)

41.7 (60)

0.4224

Cardiopulmonary symptoms, % (n)

43.2 (51)

29.2 (42)

0.0180

Epithelial manifestations, % (n)

29.7 (35)

18.8 (7)

0.0387

Mental symptoms, % (n)

5.9 (7)

4.2 (6)

0.5126

Neuromuscular symptoms, % (n)

5.9 (7)

4.9 (7)

0.7013

Gastrointestinal blood loss, % (n)

36.4 (43)

47.2 (68)

0.2411

Reproductive blood loss, % (n)

40.7 (48)

25.0 (36)

0.0068

Epistaxis, % (n)

0

1.4 (2)

0.3011

Hematuria, % (n)

0.8 (1)

1.4 (2)

0.5745

Medical blood loss, % (n)

7.6 (9)

15.3 (22)

0.0564

Chronic malabsorption, % (n)

12.7 (15)

9.7 (14)

0.4429

Unknown cause of iron deficiency/depletion, % (n)

8.5 (10)

6.3 (9)

0.4897

Hemoglobin, g/L

100 ± 22

107 ± 22

0.0251

MCV, fL

75.0 ± 13.0

80.8 ± 9.0

0.0001

RBC × 1012/L

4.15 ± 0.64

4.08 ± 0.70

0.4232

RDW, %

18.6 ± 3.7

17.2 ± 2.7

0.0006

Platelets × 109/L

352 ± 146

305 ± 113

0.0046

Lymphocytes × 109/L

1.9 ± 0.7

2.0 ± 1.0

0.4120

Neutrophils × 109/L

4.3 ± 2.1

4.3 ± 2.1

0.9327

SI, μmol/L

7 ± 5

8 ± 5

0.1304

TIBC, μmol/L

75 ± 13

72 ± 14

0.0476

TS, %

10 ± 7

11 ± 7

0.1124

SF, pmol/L

27 ± 22

34 ± 25

0.0248

Cancer in remission, %

7.6 (9)

18.1 (26)

0.0136

CVID, %

11.0 (13)

18.1 (26)

0.1113

Diabetes mellitus, %

11.9 (14)

18.1 (26)

0.1657

Hemochromatosis, %

0.8 (1)

2.8 (4)

0.2533

Anemia, % (n)

79.7 (94)

69.4 (100)

0.0605

Thrombocytosis, % (n)

20.4 (24)

8.3 (12)

0.0050

Thrombocytopenia, % (n)

3.4 (4)

4.2 (6)

0.5031

Iron deficiency, % (n)

55.6 (80)

69.5 (82)

0.0720

Iron deficiency with anemia, % (n)

43.8 (63)

54.2 (62)

0.1495

  1. 1Results are expressed as mean ± 1 SD or as percentage (n). Abbreviations: MCV, mean corpuscular volume; RBC, red blood cells; RDW, red blood cell distribution width; SI, serum iron; TIBC, total iron-binding capacity; TS, transferrin saturation; SF, serum ferritin; CVID, common variable immunodeficiency.
  2. 2Pica items included: ice (n = 103); ice water (n = 6); salt (n = 4); sugar (n = 3); dirt, soil, or gravel (n = 3); crackers, laundry starch, pickles, or popsicles (2 each); and candy, cantaloupe, carbohydrates, carbonated beverages, chocolate-covered raisins, coffee beans, dry oatmeal, Gummi® worms, lemons, permanent markers, popcorn, raw cabbage (and broccoli and spinach), and strawberry ice cream (1 each). Some patients reported two or more pica items.
  3. 3Comparisons were made using Student's two-tailed t-test, Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate.
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BMC Hematology

ISSN: 2052-1839

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