Assessment of management guidelines. Acute iron ingestion.
A review of 339 treated acute iron ingestions was conducted to define treatment guidelines better. According to the poison center protocol, ingestions of 20-40 mg/kg of elemental iron required only home treatment, and ingestions of greater than or equal to 40 mg/kg required hospital referral. Gastrointestinal symptoms developed in 23% of patients. There were no seriously ill patients. No serious toxicity developed in patients ingesting 40-60 mg/kg. In 199 cases in which the dose ingested was known, the mean dose was 39.5 mg/kg. The peak measured serum iron levels ranged from 12 to 539 micrograms/dl. In 129 cases with serum iron levels reported, increasing serum iron levels were associated with vomiting (p = 0.006). Of 88 patients who received deferoxamine, 14 had urine color change. Urine color change was associated with symptoms (p = 0.005) but not with iron dose or peak serum iron level. The poison center protocol was changed to home management for ingestions of 20-60 mg/kg unless significant symptoms developed and hospital referral for ingestions greater than or equal to 60 mg/kg.
Klein-Schwartz
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W
Maryland Poison Center, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore 21201.
Oderda
G M
GM
Gorman
R L
RL
Favin
F
F
Rose
S R
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine