Intravenous iron supplementation for correcting renal anemia in hemodialysis patients – critical approach to current practices based on single-centre experience

INtroductIoN In patients on hemodialysis due to the chronic renal failure the yearly loses of iron can exceed 3.0 g, which is 4-10 times more as compared to healthy population (1). the increased iron losses resulting from: – intrahemodialyser clotting, – postdialysis bleeding from needle insertion site, – the incomplete blood return at cessation of the procedure, – extensive laboratory examinations required to follow and treat hemodialysed patients, – occult gastrointestinal bleeding, can add 6-7 mg, or even more, to the physiological daily iron losses of 1-2 mg. the occult blood losses *ryszard Gellert, tomasz Żelek, dorota daniewska, Anna Kajczuk-Kowieska, danuta Kobus