Khaberni - A recent study in the journal Blood demonstrated that intravenous iron treatment for anemia, which has been controversial for years, has proven its safety and effectiveness in reducing mortality and improving hemoglobin levels in patients.
The study, which was based on the analysis of data from over 85,000 patients from various hospitals, showed that intravenous iron injections are a safe method for treating anemia and also help in reducing the risk of death in patients with bacterial infections.
Despite the previous belief that administering iron intravenously could feed bacteria and exacerbate infections, the results showed the opposite, with notable reductions in mortality rates during 14 and 90-day periods in patients with pneumonia, infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), colitis, and other common infections, after receiving intravenous iron.
The data also showed that hemoglobin levels significantly increased after two to three months in patients who received this type of treatment, compared to those who were not given iron.
In contrast, the study did not record a significant improvement in patients with bacterial meningitis after receiving iron, but no deterioration in their health was observed either.
The researchers confirmed that these results are based on retrospective data, indicating that only randomized controlled trials are capable of definitively confirming these benefits, but the current data calls for a reevaluation of traditional concepts related to treating anemia in patients with severe infections.
