Blood, 1955, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 567-581.
© 1955 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
The Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia
DANIEL H. COLEMAN 1,
ALEXANDER R. STEVENS JR. 1, and
CLEMENT A. FINCH 1
1 Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine.
In the normal individual the amount of iron absorbed and lost from the body
each day is exceedingly small. There are certain periods during life when body
iron requirements are increased; the most important of these is infancy. Here,
existing iron stores are rapidly depleted, and a deficient diet can soon produce
iron deficiency. Once a full complement of body iron has been accrued, the adult
is independent of iron intake and becomes iron deficient only through blood loss.
In the production of iron deficiency, iron stores are exhausted before anemia
appears. If any question in diagnosis from usual laboratory tests exists, the direct.
examination of marrow for hemosiderin will establish the diagnosis. It is of obvious importance to confirm the diagnosis by specific therapy and to determine
the cause of the iron depletion.
Response to oral iron is highly predictable and failure of response usually in
dictates a mistaken diagnosis. In a small but significant group of patients, either
unable to take iron because of gastrointestinal symptoms, unable to absorb
iron, or in need of iron reserves, parenteral administration of iron has distinct
advantages. The saccharated oxide of iron is an effective preparation for this
purpose.
Submitted on February 15, 1954
Accepted on May 11, 1954
