IRON SUPPLEMENTATION IN CHILDREN AFTER CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS FOR SURGICAL REPAIR OF CONGENITAL HEART-DISEASE

A controlled study was carried out to evaluate the effects of postoper ative iron therapy on iron status in anemic children after cardiopulmo nary bypass. The patients were 8 boys and 9 girls (mean age 6.5 years) who underwent elective closure of atrial septal defect, secundum type . On postoperative day 9, patients were randomly assigned to either ir on supplementation with iron sulfate 5 mg/kg until day 56 or to a cont rol group. Hemoglobin, reticulocytes, transferrin saturation, free ery throcyte protoporphyrin, and ferritin were measured, the final outcome measure being postoperative iron status on day 56. The treatment grou p showed higher transferrin saturations (33.5% versus 18.0%), smaller decreases in ferritin level (+ 3.0 versus - 13.7 ng/ml), and a lower i ncidence of depleted iron stores (0/8 versus 5/9) than the control gro up (all data: P < 0.05). Anemic children after cardiopulmonary bypass for surgical repair of congenital heart disease thus benefit from iron supplementation within the first postoperative weeks.