Treatment of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia with intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnancy are global health issues, affecting around 30% of women in high-resourced countries, and increasing to over 50% of women in low-resourced countries.

Objectives: Froessler et al. study published in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2018) 298: 75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4782-9 , raised many queries and we would like to know the answers of those queries from the authors if possible.

Results: Diagnosis of IDA should be based on hemoglobin concentration (gm/dl), serum ferritin (ug/l), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and the efficacy of the treatment of IDA evaluated by comparing pre-treatment values of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) by the post-treatment values. Parenteral iron dose for correction of IDA calculated according to the formula; total iron needed in mg = 2.4 × pre-pregnancy weight in kg × (target hemoglobin concentration - actual hemoglobin concentration) gm/dl + 500 mg.

Conclusion: The efficacy of the treatment of IDA evaluated by comparing pre-treatment values of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, MCV, and MCH by the post-treatment values. Parenteral iron dose for correction of IDA calculated according to the formula; total iron needed in mg = 2.4 + pre-pregnancy weight in kg + (target hemoglobin concentration - actual hemoglobin concentration) gm/dl + 500 mg.

Keywords: Anemia; Carboxymaltose; Deficiency; Iron; Letter.