Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Spring 1961

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

Advisor

Ward L. Sims

Abstract

An investigation was made to determine the hemoglobin levels of a sample of an adult population. The problem was three-fold in purpose: (1) to determine the number of adults having a low hemoglobin, (2) to determine if there was a difference in the percentage of males and females who might have low hemoglobin, and (3) to determine whether hemoglobin screening could be carried out efficiently and effectively with the other tests being completed in the screening programs by the Kansas State Board of Health. During October of 1956 capillary blood samples were taken from 1525 adults of Ellis and the surrounding counties for the purpose of determining hemoglobin by cyanmethomoglibin method using a Leitz Colorimeter. Any value lower than 11 grams per cent for females, and 12 grams per cent for males, was reported as being positive. The screening level for the hemoglobin test was established and approved by the Ellis County Medical Association. A pertinent medical history was obtained, and noted on the registration from for each person screened. The author screened 946 females and 579 males in the survey. The mean hemoglobin for the females was 12.2 grams per cent and the mean for the males was 13.6. The hemoglobin screening survey showed a 15.3 per cent positive rate of the total number screened. Sixteen and three-tenth per cent of the total female population screened positive as compared with 13.6 per cent of the total males who screened positive. There were only 5 males of the total 79 positive males who reported having a previous history of anemia, as opposed to the 67 females of the toil 154 positive females who reported that they had a previous history of anemia. A previous history of low hemoglobin was noted for 241 persons. There were 24 positive cases who were under medication at the time, and 72 cases with a previous history who screened positive during the survey. The number of positive tests with no history of a low hemoglobin was 161. This figure represents 69.1 per cent of the total positive cases. The age intervals in which the survey showed that the males were most likely to exhibit a low hemoglobin are 69-72, 41-44, and 53-56. The age interval in which the female is most likely to show a low hemoglobin, according to the survey, is 37-40/ this study seems to indicate that there are sufficient number of adults who have a low hemoglobin to warrant a mass screening for this condition; that there are almost as many males who suffer from this condition as there are females, although many females have been diagnosed during pregnancy; and that the cyanmethemoglobin method of hemoglobin determination, using the Leitz Colorimeter, can be efficiently and effectively carried out in a mass screening survey.

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Rights

© 1961 James L. Henderson

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