Or register here
Global Search

Trusted Resources: Evidence & Education

Scientific literature and patient education texts

Back to Evidence & Education / Reference Materials

Transfusion-Induced iron overload

key information

source: Medscape

year: 2020

authors: Muhammad A Mir

summary/abstract:

The human body has no active mechanism for the excretion of iron. During normal physiology, the amount of iron absorbed from the small intestine (1-2 mg/d) is balanced by the iron lost through sloughing of intestinal mucosa and skin, as well as the small amounts excreted in the urine and bile. Day-to-day iron requirements, as iron is needed by virtually all body cells and especially erythrocytes, are met by recycling between various compartments.

A unit of transfused blood contains approximately 250 mg of iron. In patients who receive numerous transfusions—notably those with thalassemia major, sickle cell disease, myelodysplastic syndrome, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, and refractory sideroblastic anemias, who may become transfusion dependent—the excess iron from the transfused erythrocytes gradually accumulates in various tissues, causing morbidity and mortality.
Iron chelation therapy is used to prevent the accumulation of iron to harmful levels. Liver and cardiac transplantation should be considered for appropriate patients with end-stage disease.

read more

Related Content

To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close

© 2025 rareLife solutions Inc.

To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close