Abstract

BUSTAMANTE CRISTANCHO, LUIS ALFONSO. Acute iron poisoning. CES Med. [online]. 2011, vol.25, n.1, pp.79-96. ISSN 0120-8705.

Poisoned patients represent a challenge at the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in the emergency department. Iron poisoning is a relatively common medical condition in pregnant and pediatric patients due the easy acquisition of the mineral in supplements often prescribed in medical consultations and prenatal care programs. This poisoning has a high lethal potential, however to reach that state are required extremely high doses as 200 to 250 mg/kg of elemental iron, but recently it’s describe doses of 150 mg/kg and some authors reports of 75 mg/Kg, but are beginning to show signs of toxicity with intakes of 15 - 20 mg/kg. In this paper, we made a review of acute iron poisoning, from basic metabolism, through existing mechanisms for the regulation of acute iron overload and taking concepts for understanding the pathophysiological processes. This review provides an overview of established diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, as well as input from some research for the possible identification of various antidotes different to deferoxamine. Finally, it presents a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm based on the review done.

Keywords : Iron; Ferric sulfate; Deferoxamine; Iron poisoning.

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