Iron infusion before bowel surgery reduces need for blood transfusion

Medical Xpress / University College London / The British Journal of Surgery ^ | Nov. 23, 2023 | Hans Lederhuber et al

[ConservativeMind]

Change in clinical practice would have clear benefits for patients undergoing major bowel surgery, according to analysis.

The study provides evidence that giving iron intravenously before colorectal surgery improves outcomes for patients, reducing the need for blood transfusion by 33%.

Anemia is a common problem in patients undergoing bowel surgery due to bleeding from the gut and blood loss during the operation. Anemia is also associated with feeling tired and unwell, a slower recovery and other complications after surgery.

Blood transfusion is used when blood levels are low, but there has been concern that colorectal cancer patients may have higher rates of complications and cancer recurrence if they've had a blood transfusion. Iron is commonly used to treat anemia, with a full course of treatment being administered intravenously in 15-30 minutes. To date intravenous iron infusion has been used sparingly, with a question remaining whether treating patients before major surgery would reduce the need for blood transfusion.

In this study, a meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials was conducted by researchers from UCL, focusing on a subset of patients from those trials who had undergone bowel surgery. In these trials, patients were split into two groups, a control group and a group who received iron intravenously prior to surgery.

The analysis showed that patients who had received iron infusion were 33% less likely to require a blood transfusion during or after surgery.

Professor Toby Richards said, "This is the first time that clinical trials have shown a patient benefit from treatment with an iron infusion before surgery, which has the potential to treat anemia and reduce the need for blood transfusion. Previous studies had not shown this benefit for all patients undergoing surgery, but this analysis identifies a subset of patients undergoing bowel surgery who will see a benefit."

[ConservativeMind]

Iron infusion for bowel surgery reduces blood transfusion need by 33%

[ConservativeMind]

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[Secret Agent Man]

Iron affects oxygen carrying capacity, so this would seem to make sense to me.

[Honest Nigerian]

Don’t say “wrecked him”!
Say “Nancy Pelosi and her husband”. Oh Yeah!! 🥳😳

[Red Badger]

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-shocking-X-rays-of-very-bizarre-objects-found-up-peoples-butts