Sipra Singh1, Rakesh Kumar Singh2, Shanti Singh3
BACKGROUND
Iron deficiency anaemia in post-partum period is associated with poor maternal and foetal outcome. Oral iron though convenient to use, is associated with annoying gastrointestinal side effects. Parenteral iron may present a substitute to both oral iron in patients who cannot take oral iron, and also to blood transfusion. Aim of the present study is to compare the efficacy of oral iron with intravenous iron sucrose and intravenous ferric carboxymaltose and also the safety profiles of these preparations.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ninety anaemic patients who had delivered in last seven days, were allocated in to three groups of thirty patients each to receive either oral iron, intravenous iron sucrose or intravenous v ferric carboxymaltose. Haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin were measured at the start of the study and at two weeks’ and six weeks’ intervals. Side effect were observed, recorded and treated. Continuous data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and categorical data were analyzed using Chi squared test. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analyses. p value<0.05 was taken as significant.
RESULTS
Blood haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin level were significantly higher in ferric carboxymaltose group as compared to blood sucrose and oral iron group at two weeks’ and six weeks’ intervals. Significantly higher percentage (66.67%) of patients in ferric carboxymaltose group achieved target Hb level of 12 gm/dl.
CONCLUSION
Treatment with ferric carboxymaltose result in comparatively better outcome with regard to rise in haemoglobin(Hb) and serum ferritin level. Safety profile of parenteral iron sucrose and ferric carboxymaltose is comparable.
