Uses and Administration:

Saferon  is given by injection, and should be used only in the treatment of proven iron-deficiency anaemia where oral therapy is ineffective ..

For iron-deficiency anaemia, total dosage is calculated according to the haemoglobin concentration and body-weight of the patient , Doses can also be calculated from various formulae. A typical formula used for a preparation containing the equivalent of 50 mg/mL of iron is:

Dose in mL = {0.0442 X body-weight (kg) X [desired Hb level (g/100 mL) - measured Hb level]} + (0.26 X body-weight) .

Note that doses obtained from the above formulae are for iron-deficiency anaemia, and are not suitable for iron replacement for simple blood loss.

Before starting therapy, all patients should receive a test dose via the intended route, and should be observed for adverse reactions .

The total dose requirement may be given as a series of intramuscular injections daily or once or twice weekly. It is given by deep intramuscular injection into the upper outer quadrant of the buttock; to prevent leakage along the injection track, the subcutaneous tissue is drawn to one side before the needle is inserted. Before the first therapeutic dose, a test dose should be given and the patient observed for at least 1 hour: a dose of 0.2 mL (10 mg) has been suggested for children weighing less than 10 kg, 0.3 mL (15 mg) for those weighing 10 to 20 kg, and 0.5 mL (25 mg) for adults.

If no adverse reactions are observed , Saferon can be given according to the formula

 A suggested daily maximum dosage for children is: less than 5 kg, up to 0.5 mL (25 mg); 5 to 9 kg, up to 1 mL (50 mg). Larger children and adults normally receive 2 mL (100 mg).

Iron dextran is also given intravenously either by total-dose infusion (TDI) or as divided injections. A test dose of 25 mg is given before the first therapeutic dose and the patient is observed for at least 1 hour; if no adverse reactions are observed within that time, the remainder of the initial dose may be given.

In total-dose infusion, the total dose calculated according to the haemoglobin concentration is given by slow intravenous infusion in about 500 mL of sodium chloride 0.9% or glucose 5%, sodium chloride may be preferable because of the reduced incidence of thrombophlebitis. The first 25 mg of iron should be infused over 15 minutes, and if no adverse reaction has occurred during this time the rate of infusion may be increased progressively to 45 to 60 drops/minute; the infusion usually takes 4 to 6 hours.