The comparative safety of intravenous iron dextran, iron saccharate, and sodium ferric gluconate

Intravenous iron treatment is an important component of anemia therapy for patients on dialysis. Until recently iron dextran was the only parenteral f orm of iron available in the United States. This drug has been associated w ith occasional serious adverse reactions, including full-blown anaphylaxis. In 1999 the Food and Drug Administration approved a second form of iron fo r intravenous administration, sodium ferric gluconate in sucrose. It is exp ected that by the time of this publication, a third agent, iron saccharate will also be approved. In this review the comparative safety of these three agents is critically evaluated.