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Comparing Intravenous and Oral Iron in Postoperative Anemia

Efficacy of Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose in the Improvement of Anemia in Patients With Postoperative Knee Prosthesis

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01913808
Enrollment
122
Registered
2013-08-01
Start date
2011-01-31
Completion date
2013-01-31
Last updated
2016-04-06

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

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Knee, Postoperative Anemia

Keywords

Postoperative anemia, Total knee arthroplasty, Iron therapy

Brief summary

Postoperative anaemia are common in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery. The main consequence of perioperative anaemia is an increased risk of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Allogeneic RBC transfusion and anaemia are associated with higher postoperative mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of postoperative i.v. ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) and oral ferrous glycine sulphate (FS) for early improvement of postoperative anaemia after total knee arthroplasty and whether iron treatment could facilitate recovery from surgery.

Detailed description

Both pre- and postoperative anaemia are common in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery. The main consequence of perioperative anaemia is an increased risk of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Allogeneic RBC transfusion and anaemia are associated with higher postoperative mortality and morbidity. Since blood transfusions increase Hb levels only transiently but come at the price of higher mortality and morbidity (e.g. postoperative infections), the three-pillar concept of patient blood management (PBM) has been developed to reduce the risk of blood transfusions and improve patient outcomes. Among its three pillars, the treatment or prevention of preoperative anaemia is the mainstay of PBM. Also the second pillar, minimisation of intraoperative blood loss,15 targets at least indirectly the patient's haemoglobin (Hb) levels. The third PBM pillar, use of low Hb cut-off levels triggering transfusion, means that a certain degree of postoperative anaemia is taken into account. However, it remains unclear whether a lowered transfusion threshold allows optimal functional recovery and quality of life. Since patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are often elderly and have several comorbidities, prolonged exposure to low Hb levels is not a good option for this population. Furthermore, TKA patients should be mobilised as soon as possible after surgery which increases the metabolic demand. Although, depending on the timescale before surgery, oral iron is suggested for preoperatively anaemic patients with absolute iron deficiency, oral iron showed no benefit over placebo in anaemic patients after lower limb arthroplasty. In patients at risk of functional iron deficiency due to chronic inflammation of different aetiologies, intravenous (i.v.) iron administration has proven its superiority over oral iron. Even in iron-deficient patients without established anaemia, i.v. iron improved physical performance and cardiac functional class. Thus, postoperative anaemia treatment with i.v. iron might not only reduce RBC requirements but also improve performance, rehabilitation and outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of postoperative i.v. ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) and oral ferrous glycine sulphate (FS) for early improvement of postoperative anaemia after total knee arthroplasty and whether iron treatment could facilitate recovery from surgery.

Interventions

DRUGFerric carboxymaltose

Single intravenous dose ferric carboxymaltose

Daily oral dose of 100 mg iron (ferrous glycine sulphate)

Sponsors

Vifor Pharma
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Parc de Salut Mar
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Adult patients (≥18 years of age) were recruited at the scheduled preoperative visit (21 to 30 days prior surgery knee replacement). Anaemia (Hb \<12 g/dL) and/or iron deficiency (TSAT \<20%) the day after surgery

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with known hypersensitivity or contraindications to iron, liver insufficiency (aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase \>60 IU/L), bronchial asthma, presence of acute or chronic infection, severe heart disease, significant history of allergies (rash, etc.) or anti-anaemia treatment within 15 days prior to surgery were excluded from participation. Also pregnant or nursing women were excluded (negative pregnancy urine test within 7 days prior first study treatment or amenorrhoea for at least 12 months).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in hemoglobin concentration30 daysChange in hemoglobin concentrations from baseline to 30 days

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Hemoglobin concentration30 daysConcentration of hemoglobin at day 30
Quality of life30 daysQuality of life measured by European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D)(before and 30 days)
Anemia30 daysNumber of subjects without anemia (hemoglobin \> 12g/dL)
Walk test30 days6 minutes walking test (before and 30 days)
Adverse events30 daysAdverse event (clinical and analytical, before to 30 days)
Independence in daily activities30 daysIndependence in daily activities measured by the Barthel questionnaire (before and 30 days)

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 20, 2026