EPO and anemia (phenotype): However, haemopoietic nutrient deficiency alone cannot explain the anaemia of critical illness; the prevalence of deficiency is low, in Patteril et al.’s study, there was no difference in [Hb] between FID and non-FID groups [37], and whilst nutrient insufficiency may contribute to chronic anaemia in critical illness, as with EPO insufficiency, the mechanism of decreased red cell production cannot explain the fall in [Hb] over the first few days.