Is my mother taking correct treatment for iron deficiency?
Dr Dharma R Choudhary
Clinical Hematologist & Bone Marrow Transplant Physician,
BL Kapur Memorial Hospital,
New Delhi
Clinical Hematologist & Bone Marrow Transplant Physician,
BL Kapur Memorial Hospital,
New Delhi
Q: My 86 years old mother is suffering from iron deficiency. Her serum iron is 9.0 mcg/dl, TIBC is 505 mcg/dl and haemoglobin level is 7.6 gm/dl. She has started Orofer XT tablet twice daily. Is this the right treatment for iron deficiency? How can it be managed?
A:Elderly patients of severe iron deficiency anaemia should be evaluated for gastrointestinal bleed (colonoscopy and upper GI endoscopy) to rule out GI tract malignancy especially colonic carcinoma. If endoscopy is OK then treatment with iron replacement in any form is OK.