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Updated: Sep 17, 2025
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Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
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Oral and Intravenous Iron Therapy
Andrea U Steinbicker1, Kostas Pantopoulos2
1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne University Hospital, Cologne, Germany.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|July 2, 2025
Summary
Iron deficiency anemia, a common condition, is treated with oral or intravenous iron. Oral iron is common but can cause side effects, while IV iron offers rapid repletion but requires medical supervision and monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Nutritional Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are prevalent global health issues.
- Common causes include blood loss and poor dietary iron absorption.
- Iron replacement therapy aims to correct anemia and restore iron levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current strategies for iron replacement therapy.
- To compare oral and intravenous iron formulations.
- To highlight safety considerations for different iron therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on iron deficiency anemia management.
- Comparison of efficacy and side effect profiles of oral and intravenous iron.
- Analysis of safety data for newer intravenous iron formulations.
Main Results:
- Oral iron, often ferrous sulfate, is the first-line treatment but has limited absorption and potential gastrointestinal side effects.
- Intravenous iron is preferred for patients intolerant to oral iron, those with malabsorption, or needing rapid correction.
- Newer IV formulations like ferric carboxymaltose offer high-dose, single-infusion treatments with good safety profiles but require monitoring for hypophosphatemia.
Conclusions:
- Both oral and intravenous iron are effective for treating iron deficiency anemia.
- Patient-specific factors, tolerance, and speed of correction dictate the choice of therapy.
- Careful administration and monitoring are essential for safe and effective intravenous iron therapy, particularly regarding potential hypophosphatemia.
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