Role of parenteral iron in transfusion requirements after total hip replacement. A pilot study

An important percentage of patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR) receive allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) to avoid the risks of acute anaemia. However, concerns about the risks of ABT have led to the search for alternatives, such as stimulation of erythropoiesis. We prospectively investigated the effect of postoperative administration of 300 mg of intravenous iron sucrose on ABT requirements in THR patients (group 2; n = 24). A previous series of 22 THR patients served as the control group (group 1). All patients were operated on by the same surgeon, using the same implant, and a set of clinical data was gathered. No adverse reactions to iron administration were observed. The group-given iron showed a trend to a lower transfusion rate (46 vs. 73%; P = 0.067) and lower transfusion index (0.96 vs. 1.68 units/patient; P = 0.038). Moreover, amongst the non-transfused patients, admission haemoglobin levels were lower in those coming from the iron group than those from the control group (12.7 +/- 0.9 vs. 14.0 +/- 1.2 g dL(-1), respectively; P = 0.017). Postoperative parenteral iron administration could be a safe and effective way to reduce ABT requirements in the THR patients. A large, randomized controlled trial to confirm these results is warranted.