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Iron infusion - Vitamin infusion
An iron infusion is when iron is delivered via an intravenous line into a person’s body. A person with lower supplies of iron in their blood may benefit from an iron infusion.
Increasing the amount of iron a person has in their blood can cure anemia or increase a low red blood cell count.
The body uses iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an important part of red blood cells and helps carry oxygen around the body.
If a person does not have enough hemoglobin, they can feel tired, have a rapid heartbeat, and may even have difficulty breathing. An iron infusion may be used for someone with an iron deficiency when supplements do not work.
Who needs an iron infusion?
Some people have lower supplies of iron in their blood than others. These groups include:
Those who have experienced significant blood loss from cancers, ulcers, and heavy periods, for example.
Those who eat a diet that is very low in iron.
Those who take medicines that affect the body’s ability to use iron to make hemoglobin. These include aspirin, heparin, and Coumadin.
Those who have a condition that uses up more iron, such as kidney failure or pregnancy.
A doctor can perform a range of blood tests and check a person’s iron levels to determine if they are low.
A variety of medical reasons can cause low iron levels, so a doctor will also check someone’s blood for the types of iron present, to ensure that it is the lack of iron that is causing the anemia. If so, the condition is known as iron-deficiency anemia.
An iron infusion may be given if a person’s blood counts are so low that taking iron supplements or increasing their daily intake of iron-containing foods would be ineffective or too slow in increasing their iron levels.
Some people, such as those with inflammatory bowel disease, cannot take an oral iron supplement and may benefit from an iron infusion.
What to expect
A person will go to a doctor’s office, hospital, or another healthcare facility to have an iron infusion.
A healthcare professional will apply a tourniquet to their arm and insert a small needle into a vein. This needle is then replaced with a catheter through which medicines can be given intravenously (IV).
Before a person receives the entire infusion, they will sometimes receive a “test dose.” During the test dose, a person will be given small amounts of iron over a 5-minute period. However, newer preparations of iron do not usually require a test dose.
The IV iron is a mixture of iron with a fluid solution. If a person does not have an allergic response or any other unanticipated reactions, a doctor will administer the remaining iron.
The infusion will take between 15-30 minutes if it is given in amounts of 200-300 milligrams (mg).
Most doctors will not recommend giving an individual more than 600 mg of iron in one week. If a person receives too much iron too quickly, they may be at greater risk for adverse side effects from the infusion.
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