The study, which was based on an analysis of data from more than 85,000 patients from a number of hospitals, showed that intravenous iron injection is a safe way to treat anemia and even helps reduce the risk of death in patients with bacterial infections.
Despite the previously held belief that intravenous iron could feed bacteria and worsen infection, the results revealed the exact opposite, with a significant decrease in mortality rates during the 14 and 90-day periods in patients with pneumonia, MRSA infection, colitis, and other common infections, after they received intravenous iron.
The data also showed that hemoglobin levels rose more clearly after two to three months in patients who received this type of treatment, compared to those who were not given iron.
In contrast, the study did not record a significant improvement in patients with bacterial meningitis after receiving iron, but no deterioration in their health condition was observed either.
The researchers stressed that these results are based on retrospective data, noting that only randomized controlled studies can definitively confirm these benefits. However, the current data calls for a reconsideration of traditional concepts related to the treatment of anemia in patients with acute infections.
