Iron Deficiency Anaemia Treatment

Question 1

How can one treat iron deficiency anaemia ( oral route ) if side effects (e.g. nausea, abdom- inal pain, constipation or diarrhoea) occur with the recommended meds?

Answer 1

The side effects can be reduced by giving iron with food or by using a preparation with a lower iron content, e.g. ferrous gluconate, which contains less iron (37mg) per 300mg tablet.

Question 1

What is the name of the Oral Iron treatment for Iron Deficiency Anaemia?

Answer 1

• Ferrous sulphate, which is cheap, contains 67 mg iron in each 200 mg tablet and is usually given on an empty stomach.
• Ferrous Fumarate

Question 2

What is the recommended duration for oral iron therapy?

Answer 2

6 months

Question 3

True or False? Iron fortification of the diet in infants in Africa reduces the incidence of anaemia, but increases susceptibility to malaria.

Answer 3

TRUE!!

Question 4

What are the possible causes of Failure to oral iron?

Answer 4

• Continuing haemorrhage
• Failure to take tablets
• Wrong diagnosis – especially thalassaemia trait, sideroblastic anaemia, IRIDA (non-refractory iron deficiency anaemia).
• Mixed deficiency – associated folate or vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Another cause for anaemia (e.g. malignancy, inflammation)
• Malabsorption – coeliac disease, atrophic gastritis, Helicobacter infection.
• Use of slow-release preparation

Question 5

True or False? Parenteral Iron can be given in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Answer 5

FALSE!! It should NOT be given in the first trimester of Pregnancy .

Question 6

True or False? . The haematological response to parenteral iron is no faster than to adequate dosage of oral iron, but the stores are replenished faster.