Iron transfusion before heart surgery reduces complications and boosts recovery, clinical trial finds
A clinical trial involving 955 patients found that intravenous iron administered before heart surgery significantly reduces the need for red blood cell transfusions. The treatment helps maintain hemoglobin levels, potentially lowering the risk of post-surgical complications.
Why it matters
Reducing blood transfusions can improve patient outcomes, shorten hospital stays, and decrease the medical risks associated with surgery.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Giving intravenous iron to patients with anemia before heart surgery reduces the need for a red blood cell transfusion, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today. Intravenous iron also saved approximately 44 units of blood products for every 100 patients treated.
A third of patients undergoing cardiac surgery are anemic, and 20%–50% receive a blood transfusion after surgery, which is linked to increased risks of complications, longer hospital stays and death after surgery.
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