diagnostic value of red blood cell indices in differentiating iron deficiency anemia from beta thalassemia trait

Background: iron deficiency anemia (ida) and beta thalassemia trait (btt) are the most common forms of microcytic hypochromic anemia in pediatric populations.objectives: this study aimed to assess and compare the diagnostic performance of six red blood cell (rbc) indices in distinguishing btt from ida.methods: in this cross-sectional study, 148 pediatric patients diagnosed with either btt or ida were enrolled. rbc indices were measured in both groups, and various diagnostic formulas were applied. statistical analysis was performed using spss software, version 21.results: among the 148 patients (aged 6 months to 18 years), 74 had ida and 74 had btt. the rbc count index demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy (83.87%) in differentiating the two conditions, with a youden index of 67%. after adjusting diagnostic thresholds, rbc count remained the most effective indicator (youden index: 71.6%), followed by the rdwi, mentzer, england & fraser, sirvastava, and shin & lal indices.conclusions: the rbc count index showed the highest diagnostic value among all evaluated indices and may serve as a reliable, accessible tool for differentiating ida from btt in clinical settings.