IRON INFUSIONS FOR OUR PATIENTS IN MELBOURNE.
Did you know Iron is essential for the body to make haemoglobin (Hb), a pigment that makes red blood cells red. When the amount of iron in the body gets too low, the haemoglobin level falls below normal. This is known as ‘iron deficiency anaemia’.
WHY IS IRON IMPORTANT TO THE BODY?
Haemoglobin is essential to a healthy body as it carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If your haemoglobin or iron levels are low this may make you feel tired and may prevent you from carrying out your normal daily routine.
WHY MIGHT I NEED AN IV IRON INFUSION?
Clinically, the most common way to treat iron deficiency anaemia is to take iron orally as a tablet or liquid. This is the traditional approach and works well for most people so it is usually tried first. However, sometimes this approach may not be suitable for the Patient particularly if
- The Patient is unable to tolerate iron taken orally
- The Patient is unable to absorb iron through the stomach and digestive system
- The Patient suffers from constipation (often a side effect from oral Iron supplementation)
In such situations an IV Iron Infusion may be the best treatment to restore normal Iron levels in the Patient.
BEFORE YOU HAVE AN IV IRON INFUSION THE PATIENT WILL NEED TO
- Have a Consultation with the Doctor. During this consultation, the Doctor will discuss with you about medical history, review all the medications and review any previous treatment for Iron deficiency. In addition the Doctor will cover any possible side effects of Iron treatments (oral and IV Iron Infusion).
- Have blood tests to evaluate the current levels of Iron.
- Schedule the IV Iron Infusion with the Doctor (if such a treatment is deemed appropriate).
ON THE DAY OF THE IV IRON INFUSION, THE PATIENT SHOULD
- Have their breakfast/lunch as normal
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Take their regular medications as normal
- Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the IV Iron Infusion.
After the treatment, we ask the patient to wait at the Clinic for a further 30 minutes to ensure that there are no major side effects. (On the day please allow for 1 hour for the whole treatment process). After the treatment, the Patient will be able to drive home and/or continue with their normal daily activities.