Rapid increase in intravenous iron therapy for women of reproductive age in Australia

In reply: We agree with Jayasuriya and colleagues that iron deficiency anaemia may be undertreated. Intravenous iron is recommended when rapid restoration of haemoglobin and iron stores is required, oral iron cannot be tolerated, or poor absorption is expected. The National Patient Blood Management Collaborative aims to prevent transfusion and its complications by optimising haemoglobin and iron stores.1 However, randomised trials do not show evidence for benefit of intravenous iron on all outcomes in all populations, including the need for blood transfusion. A recent large randomised trial found no evidence for benefit in giving intravenous iron preoperatively to patients with anaemia undergoing major abdominal surgery.2