BACKGROUND: Intravenous iron (FeIV) has been used increasingly, alone or in combination with recombinant erythropoietin, to promote red cell production as part of a blood conservation program. Given the important role that iron plays in the growth of bacteria, it has been hypothesized that this use of FeIV may promote surgical site infection. However, this hypothesis has not yet been tested appropriately. To assess this hypothesis, postoperative infection rates in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery were analyzed. METHODS: Data were collected on 863 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in 2001. Patients were either enrolled voluntarily in a blood conservation program in which they received either postoperative FeIV and erythropoietin (n=302), as indicated, or blood transfusions and no FeIV (n=561), as indicated, to correct postoperative anemia. Infections were defined according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. RESULTS: Thirty-nine infections developed. The overall infection rate was 4.52%, with an infection rate of 3.97% in the iron-treated group (n=12) and a rate of 4.81% in the untreated group (n=27). When the impact of gender, age, diabetes mellitus, operating time, type of surgery, and blood transfusions were controlled for, FeIV did not increase the risk of infection (odds ratio of 1.031 for each increment of 125 mg of FeIV; 95% confidence interval 0.908, 1.170; p=0.64). CONCLUSIONS: There was no impact of FeIV on the subsequent infection rate in a cardiac surgery patient cohort, indicating its safety for use in the postoperative setting.
BACKGROUND: Intravenous iron (FeIV) has been used increasingly, alone or in combination with recombinant erythropoietin, to promote red cell production as part of a blood conservation program. Given the important role that iron plays in the growth of bacteria, it has been hypothesized that this use of FeIV may promote surgical site infection. However, this hypothesis has not yet been tested appropriately. To assess this hypothesis, postoperative infection rates in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery were analyzed. METHODS: Data were collected on 863 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in 2001. Patients were either enrolled voluntarily in a blood conservation program in which they received either postoperative FeIV and erythropoietin (n=302), as indicated, or blood transfusions and no FeIV (n=561), as indicated, to correct postoperative anemia. Infections were defined according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. RESULTS: Thirty-nine infections developed. The overall infection rate was 4.52%, with an infection rate of 3.97% in the iron-treated group (n=12) and a rate of 4.81% in the untreated group (n=27). When the impact of gender, age, diabetes mellitus, operating time, type of surgery, and blood transfusions were controlled for, FeIV did not increase the risk of infection (odds ratio of 1.031 for each increment of 125 mg of FeIV; 95% confidence interval 0.908, 1.170; p=0.64). CONCLUSIONS: There was no impact of FeIV on the subsequent infection rate in a cardiac surgery patient cohort, indicating its safety for use in the postoperative setting.
Authors: Shailaja J Hayden; Tyler J Albert; Timothy R Watkins; Erik R Swenson Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2012-01-26 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: Manuel Muñoz; Susana Gómez-Ramírez; Martin Besser; José Pavía; Fernando Gomollón; Giancarlo M Liumbruno; Sunil Bhandari; Mercé Cladellas; Aryeh Shander; Michael Auerbach Journal: Blood Transfus Date: 2017-09 Impact factor: 3.443
Authors: Pilar Garrido-Martín; Mohamed Ibrahim Nassar-Mansur; Ramiro de la Llana-Ducrós; Tirso Ma Virgos-Aller; Patricia María Rodríguez Fortunez; Rosa Ávalos-Pinto; Alejandro Jimenez-Sosa; Rafael Martínez-Sanz Journal: Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg Date: 2012-08-31