The Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anaemia by Iron‐Dextran Infusion: A Radio‐Isotope Study

Abstract

A 59Fe labelled preparation has been used to follow the distribution and fate of intravenously administered iron-dextran (Imferon) in 10 patients with iron deficiency anaemia and three non-anaemic adult female subjects.

Parenteral Iron: Pharmacology and Clinical Use

“…The pharmacokinetics of parenteral iron was elucidated in studies that employed total-dose injections of 500 mg or greater of iron-dextran [2, 3, 9, 30, 35, 36, 39]. After intramuscular injection, mobilization of iron-dextran from the injection site is very slow [36].…”

“…Prior to incorporation into red cell hemoglobin, iron-dextran is stored in liver, spleen, and bone marrow [3, 43, 44, 45]. There is very minimal loss of injected iron-dextran in the urine or in stool [3], and removal during hemodialysis is negligible [46].…”

“…There is very minimal loss of injected iron-dextran in the urine or in stool [3], and removal during hemodialysis is negligible [46]. …”

“…Parenteral iron in the form of iron and ammonium citrate had been used as early as 1872 for the treatment of anemia, but prohibitive toxic effects prevented widespread acceptance of this formulation [1, 2, 3]. Clinical use of parenteral iron accelerated after the introduction of improved and less toxic formations – iron saccharide in the 1940s and a short time thereafter iron-dextran [2, 3, 4].…”

“…Clinical use of parenteral iron accelerated after the introduction of improved and less toxic formations – iron saccharide in the 1940s and a short time thereafter iron-dextran [2, 3, 4]. …”