Fatal iron intoxication in late pregnancy

A case of intoxication with 5 g of elemental iron (25 g of ferrous sulfate) in a 30-year old woman at 36 weeks gestation is reported. Deferoxamine treatment was given with a delay of 26 hours after ingestion. A healthy infant was delivered by cesarean section 31 hours following ingestion. Subsequently, the patient developed hepatic necrosis, coma and hemostatic dysfunction and expired in cardiac failure after two weeks. The fatal outcome supports the view that the potential lethal dose of iron is lower for adults than for children. This case also demonstrates that major hepatic dysfunction can be a prominent feature of adult cases of iron intoxication. It is not unequivocal that early institution of deferoxamine treatment would have had a significant influence on the outcome. However, taking into account the well-documented efficacy of the drug in children and that no major adverse fetal effects have been associated with deferoxamine treatment in pregnancy, we suggest such antidote therapy to be considered for prompt institution in similar cases.