Iron therapy in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis

Twelve patients in maintenance hemodialysis, receiving long-term oral iron therapy, have been treated with i.v. iron dextran, in order to evaluate the effect on the Hb level. Both Hb and hematocrit were unchanged before and after the iron dextran infusion (p greater than 0.5, p greater than 0.7, respectively). Oral iron therapy is usually sufficient to maintain an adequate iron balance in dialysed patients and should be preferred to parenteral iron in view of the better utilization and absence of side-effects. The indication for parenteral iron should be limited to patients with impaired gastrointestinal iron absorption.