[Use of intravenous iron infusion in a gastroenterology day hospital: Indications, dosage and adverse effects].

UNLABELLED:There are no data in the literature on the use of intravenous iron infusion in gastroenterology day hospitals. OBJECTIVE:To determine the indications, dosage and tolerance of intravenous iron infusion in outpatients attending a gastroenterology day hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who received intravenous iron infusion between August 2007 and July 2008. The indications, dosage, transfusion requirements, adverse effects and patients' clinical and laboratory data were recorded. RESULTS:During the study period, 111 patients (41% women, with a mean age of 63.8 ± 18 years) received intravenous iron infusions. The main causes of anemia indicating iron administration were portal hypertensive gastropathy (n=55), inflammatory bowel disease (n=22) and intestinal angiodysplasia (n=12). The patients received a total of 557 iron infusions with a mean dose of 1033 mg iron per patient. There were no adverse effects. Despite the treatment, 46 patients required transfusion. Iron and transfusion requirements and mortality were significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than in the remainder of the study group. CONCLUSION:Intravenous iron therapy is frequently used in the gastroenterology day hospital. Most infusions were administered in patients with chronic iron loss. Patients with liver cirrhosis had the most severe anemia and underlying disease and the highest mortality.