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Implementing an IV Iron Maintenance Regimen Protocol in a Hemodialysis Practice
Cheryl Gilmartin, Kwanta Na-Thalang, Jose Arruda, and Alan Lau

Iron-deficiency anemia is commonly encountered in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring chronic hemodialysis and can occur as a result of blood loss from frequent laboratory tests, blood retention in the dialysis tubing and dialyzer, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, repeated access surgery, poor oral iron intake and/or absorption, and low protein diets (Sakiewicz, 1998; Eschbach, 1999). Further compounding the deficiency is the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates erythropoiesis to abnormally high levels and leads to functional iron deficiency in up to 90% of patients (Macdougall, 1995; Sunder-Plassmann, 1997).

Cheryl Gilmartin, PharmD, is Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

Kwanta Na-Thalang, MS, is Nephrology Research Fellow, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

Jose Arruda, MD, FACP, is Professor of Medicine; Chief, Section of Nephrology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Alan Lau, PharmD, is Professor, University of Illinois  at Chicago, Chicago, IL.