Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous and oral iron
supplementation in adult patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and
chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are not on dialysis (NDD-CKD). Methods:
A literature search was performed for English-published studies from
inception till November 1, 2022. The search included MEDLINE/PubMed,
Cochrane Library, Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) and Web of
Science using the terms ("Chronic renal insufficiency") AND ("Iron-deficiency
anemia") and ("Iron Compounds"). Results: Twelve studies were included.
Intravenous iron showed significantly higher final levels of haemoglobin (MD:
0.39, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.49, p<0.001), ferritin (MD: 196.81, 95% CI: 113.57 to
280.05, p<0.001) and transferrin (MD: 4.02, 95% CI: 1.87 to 6.17, p<0.001). The
rate of overall adverse effects was higher in the oral group (RR: 0.77, 95% CI:
0.59 to 1.00, p=0.05). However, intravenous iron was significantly associated
with a higher risk of allergic reaction/hypotension (RR: 3.87, 95% CI: 2.00 to
7.51, p<0.001) and infection (RR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.66, p=0.01). Conclusions:
The evidence suggests that intravenous iron supplementation may be superior
to oral iron in improving the haemoglobin, ferritin and transferrin levels in
NDD-CKD patients. However, intravenous iron increases the risk of serious
adverse effects. Because of the limitations of the studies included in this
review, it is recommended to carry out large, randomized trials to assess efficacy and safety of intravenous iron administration. This is an essential step before recommending routine use of these preparations in patients with NDD-CKD.
Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, iron deficiency anemia, iron compounds, intravenous administration, oral administration
