Intravenous iron treatment of renal anemia in children on hemodialysis

Treatment of anemia in children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has bee n greatly facilitated by the introduction of recombinant human erythropoiet in (rHuEPO). A major limiting factor in the treatment of renal anemia is su fficient iron supplementation. Eight children (aged 10-17 years) receiving hemodialysis were treated with intravenous iron (1 mg/kg per week) for 3 mo nths. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and serum ferritin levels were mea sured regularly. The mean Hct increased from 25% to 30%, the mean Hb increa sed from 7.8 g/dl to 9.2 g/dl, and the mean ferritin level from 200 to 395 mg/dl. The mean EPO dosage could be tapered from 6,500 IU to 6,150 IU. No a dverse side-effects were noted. Hence, in this uncontrolled study intraveno us iron was an effective treatment for iron deficiency during rHuEPO therap y in children with ESRD on hemodialysis.