Polycythemia in primary care: diagnostic evaluation and management

• Autores: Morales-Ceballos, Lizeth X., Pantoja-Meneses, Samir, Zapata-Castaño, Valentina, Ortega-Quintero, Adriana P., Parra-Saldarriaga, Jheyson, Manrique-Hernandez, Eliana K., López-Ortiz, Geovani, Sánchez-Duque, Jorge A.
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2025
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizan
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:revistas.unheval.edu.pe:article/2368
• Enlace del recurso: http://revistas.unheval.edu.pe/index.php/repis/article/view/2368
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: eritrocitosis; policitemia; enfermedades mieloproliferativas; flebotomía; erythrocytosis; polycythemia; myeloproliferative diseases; phlebotomy

Objective: To develop a narrative synthesis on polycythemia, a prevalent condition that poses diagnostic challenges in primary health care. Materials and methods: A non-systematic literature review was conducted using six databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect, SciELO, Redalyc, and Google Scholar), covering publications from January 2005 to December 2024. Result: Polycythemia is an underdiagnosed blood hyperviscosity condition with high prevalence and a strong association with cardiovascular events, particularly in cases of polycythemia vera and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusion: This review provides a practical approach for early etiological diagnosis and timely treatment of polycythemia. The proposed algorithm optimizes resource use in primary care and may reduce diagnostic delays, improving clinical decision-making.