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Intermittent versus maintenance iron therapy in children on hemodialysis: a randomized study

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Abstract

In patients with renal anemia, iron therapy can be administered intermittently or regularly at a low dose. We performed a randomized clinical trial in pediatric patients with end-stage renal failure on hemodialysis and absolute or functional iron deficiency. The study group received maintenance iron therapy according to the ferritin serum levels and the control group received intermittent 10-weekly doses. Success was defined as stabilization of ferritin levels between 100 and 800 μg/l and transferrin saturation (TSAT) between 20% and 50%, in addition to an increase in the hemoglobin level. The major reason for exclusion was iron overload. The study group received 6 mg/kg per month of parenteral iron [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3–8.8] and the control group 14.4 mg/kg per month (95% CI 12–16.8) (P<0.001). After 4 months of treatment, ferritin levels increased to 66 μg/l (95% CI 69–200) in the study group and to 334 μg/l (95% CI 145–522) in the control group (P=0.009). Maintenance therapy and intermittent weekly doses were successful in 73% and 38%, respectively. After 3 months of treatment, hemoglobin levels increased to 10 g/dl, with no difference between the groups. However, in the control group the increase in hemoglobin levels was unsustained, and 3 patients needed transfusion. Patients in the control group had a higher risk of iron overload than patients in the study group (70% vs. 19%). Thus, the regimen based on assessment of serum ferritin levels was more efficient than the intermittent regimen because it increased and maintained the hemoglobin levels with lower iron doses and a lower risk of iron overload.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff at the hemodialysis unit at Hospital of Gineco Obstetricia 48 IMSS León, Gto. The Research was supported by CONACYT-SIHGO grant number 2000–02–02–003 and Fondo para el Fomento a la Investigación (FOFOI) del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mexican Institute of Social Security, León, México

    Ma de la Cruz Ruiz-Jaramillo, Juan Manuel Guízar-Mendoza, María de Jesús Gutiérrez-Navarro, Luis Antonio Dubey-Ortega & Norma Amador-Licona

  2. Honda de San Miguel 544 CP 37390, León, Gto. México

    Ma de la Cruz Ruiz-Jaramillo

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  1. Ma de la Cruz Ruiz-Jaramillo
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  2. Juan Manuel Guízar-Mendoza
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  3. María de Jesús Gutiérrez-Navarro
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  4. Luis Antonio Dubey-Ortega
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  5. Norma Amador-Licona
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Correspondence to Ma de la Cruz Ruiz-Jaramillo.

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Ruiz-Jaramillo, M.C., Guízar-Mendoza, J.M., Gutiérrez-Navarro, M.J. et al. Intermittent versus maintenance iron therapy in children on hemodialysis: a randomized study. Pediatr Nephrol 19, 77–81 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-003-1288-9

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