Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia Using Density-based Fractionation of Red Blood Cells

This paper describes an effective method for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia in low-resource settings using aqueous multiphase systems (AMPS). AMPS is low-cost and rapid, and is more accurate than diagnosis by hemoglobin alone. The method requires a preloaded microhematocrit tube, a drop of blood from a fingerstick, and a low-cost centrifuge. The study showed improved diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia sensitivity and specificity, as well as the ability to predict several important red blood cell parameters.