Do iron guidelines translate into good clinical practice for patients on haemodialysis?

Patients on haemodialysis (HD) have greater iron needs than the normal population. In 2004, the Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment (CARI) group audited six Australian renal centres and found considerable variability in achievement of iron and haemoglobin targets.

The aim of this study was to determine whether intravenous iron guidelines and evidence translate into good clinical outcomes for patients on HD.

Data were extracted from the Renal Anaemia Management database for the period of 2007-2009. These data were compared with the target levels described in the CARI guidelines.

Most patients were not achieving recommended haemoglobin, ferritin or transferrin saturation levels. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were less likely to achieve targets.

Iron guidelines are not translating into good clinical practice for patients on HD. This situation may be improved by updating the CARI guidelines (as has recently been carried out for haemoglobin targets), introduction of more consistent dosing protocols across hospitals and greater assessment of safe levels of cumulative iron and ferritin.