Iron deficiency anaemia- Treatment

Treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in primary care - a review

Where possible treat the underlying cause Ensure that a referral is made for further investigations where a referral criteria is met to r/o a serious underlying cause as gastric erosion or cancer All patients need iron replacement Treatment improves QoL and physical condition as well as alleviates fatigue and cognitive deficits Aim of treatment is to◘ restore hemoglobin level◘ replenish iron stores

Oral iron therapy is inexpensive and effective but the bioavailability of iron is relatively low Efficiency of iron absorption increases as IDA become more severe Ferrous salts have minimal difference between them in efficiency of absorption of iron CDC recommends 50-60 mg of oral elemental iron BD for 3 months for the therapeutic Rx of IDA Adding ascorbic acid ( 250-500 mg bd ) with iron may enhance iron absorption Take on an empty stomach and avoid other medications at the same time as antacids If SEs prominent consider using BD or preparations with lower iron content or even alternate days to improve tolerance ( alternate day administration has been supported from data of an observational trial ) BNF advice against the use of modified release preparations...