Formulary
Iron dextran: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Iron dextran clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Iron dextran: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Iron dextran clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Iron-deficiency anaemia**
- **Adult** (By Deep Intramuscular Injection): Intramuscular injection to be administered into the gluteal muscle, doses calculated according to body-weight and iron deficit (consult product literature).
- **Adult** (By Slow Intravenous Injection, Or By Intravenous Infusion): Doses calculated according to body-weight and iron deficit (consult product literature).
**Iron-deficiency anaemia for iron dextran**
- **Child 14-17 years** (By deep intramuscular injection): Intramuscular injection to be administered into the gluteal muscle, doses calculated according to body-weight and iron deficit (consult product literature).
- **Child** (By slow intravenous injection, or by intravenous infusion): Doses calculated according to body-weight and iron deficit (consult product literature).
Cautions
For all iron (injectable) Allergic disorders; eczema; hepatic dysfunction; immune conditions; infection (discontinue if ongoing bacteraemia); inflammatory conditions; oral iron should not be given until 5 days after the last injection; severe asthma
Contraindications
For all iron (injectable) Disturbances in utilisation of iron; iron overload
Side effects
For all iron (injectable) Common or very common Dizziness; flushing; headache; hypertension; hypophosphataemia; hypotension; nausea; skin reactions; taste altered Uncommon Arrhythmias; arthralgia; bronchospasm; chest pain; chills; constipation; diarrhoea; dyspnoea; fatigue; fever; gastrointestinal discomfort; hyperhidrosis; hypersensitivity; loss of consciousness; malaise; muscle complaints; pain; peripheral oedema; sensation abnormal; vision blurred; vomiting Rare or very rare Angioedema; anxiety; circulatory collapse; influenza like illness; pallor; palpitations; psychiatric disorder; seizure; syncope; tremor Frequency not known Kounis syndrome Side-effects, further information Hypersensitivity reactions Anaphylactic reactions can occur with parenteral administration of iron complexes and facilities for cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be available. Skin reactions Skin discolouration (sometimes permanent) can occur with parenteral iron administration. This can occur both at the site of administration and on other areas of the body. Overdose For details on the management of poisoning, see Iron salts, under Emergency treatment of poisoning . Side-effects For iron dextran Uncommon Feeling hot Rare or very rare Deafness (transient); haemolysis Frequency not known Injection site necrosis; rheumatoid arthritis aggravated
Pregnancy
For all iron (injectable) Avoid in first trimester. M Monitoring in pregnancy Fetal monitoring is recommended during administration due to the risk of fetal bradycardia. M
Hepatic impairment
Manufacturer advises avoid in decompensated cirrhosis and hepatitis.
Renal impairment
Avoid in acute renal failure. M
Medicinal forms
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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