Can administration of iron supplement injection reduce blood transfusion rates in people with a low red blood cell count (anaemia) who are undergoing heart operation?

Can intravenous iron reduce transfusion rates in anaemic patients undergoing cardiac surgery?

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN22158788

Enrollment

Registered

2013-01-30

Start date

2013-03-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2019-09-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Use of iron supplement injection (Ferinject) in anaemic patients undergoing heart surgery. Haematological Disorders Iron deficiency anaemia

Interventions

Anaemic patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery are consented to the trial will be given one of the following at pre-operative admission clinic (POAC) 1. Intravenous ferric carbox

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Aged 18 years or older 2. Elective cardiac surgery 3. Pre-operative haemoglobin (Hb) level >1g/dl below the normal range (i.e. women <11.5g/dl and men <12.5 g/dl)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Pregnancy 2. Patient participating in another trial 3. Patients unable to give written consent 4. Patients with a recognised allergy or other contraindication to intravenous iron or related products 5. Low haemoglobin attributable to haemoglobinopathy 6. Anaemia secondary to known co-existing and uncorrected B12 or folate deficiency 7. Patients already receiving oral or intravenous iron treatment 8. Patients with evidence of significant symptomatic anaemia which would normally require urgent transfusion at the time of assessment 9. Patients with a Hb less than 9.0 g/dl

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Haemoglobin (g/dl) increment after intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (Ferinject) 2. Proportion of patients achieving an increase in Haemoglobin level >1.5g/dl pre-op after intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (Ferinject)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Units of blood transfusion post-op (in theatre and CICU) 2. Duration of CICU and In-hospital LOS 3. Rates of post-operative complications (listed above) 4. Change in quality of life 5. Factors associated with anaemia and iron therapy i.e. serum ferritin, sTFR, iron, transferring, CRP, erythropoietin (EPO) and iron binding capacity, hepcidin 6. Cost savings	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 24, 2026