Reticulocyte Count as a Monitoring Tool in Anaemia Management Among Patients at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, South West Nigeria

This study evaluates the utility of reticulocyte count as a treatment response monitoring tool in anaemia management among patients at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, South West Nigeria. The reticulocyte count reflects the bone marrow's erythropoietic response and is a critical parameter for distinguishing regenerative from hypoproliferative anaemias and for monitoring therapeutic efficacy. A prospective observational study recruited 120 anaemic patients across haematological, medical, and obstetric units. Baseline haemoglobin and reticulocyte count were measured, and both were repeated at seven-day intervals for four weeks following initiation of specific anaemia treatment (iron supplementation, anti-malarials, B12 and folate replacement, or erythropoiesis-stimulating agents). The reticulocyte production index was calculated at each time point. Results demonstrated a significant reticulocyte response peak between days 7 and 10 in nutritional and haemolytic anaemias, with iron deficiency anaemia showing the most consistent and measurable reticulocyte surge. Patients who failed to achieve a reticulocyte response by day 14 showed no significant haemoglobin recovery by day 28, indicating therapeutic non-response. The study validates reticulocyte count as an early, cost-effective marker of treatment response and recommends its inclusion in standard anaemia monitoring protocols at EKSUTH, particularly in resource-limited settings where more expensive reticulocyte indices are unavailable. Keywords: reticulocyte count, anaemia monitoring, treatment response, erythropoiesis, Ekiti State.