Treatment of iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, through inravenous (IV) iron is recommended if oral iron is not effective or prompt correction of iron deficiency is needed. The latest generations of IV iron (such as iron carboxymaltose or iron isomaltoside), are effective forms of treatment of iron deficiency and usually improve symptoms in less than a week. Although the risk of serious adverse side effects is low, IV iron should be administered in a monitored setting

Iron deficiency can be diagnosed with a simple blood test. Serum ferritin is a marker of the iron stores in the body. When the blood concentration falls below 30ng/mL, the body no longer has enough iron and a patient is probably experiencing many of the symptoms of iron deficiency. Serum ferritin between 30-100ng/mL indicates low iron stores. Only with serum ferritin levels above 100ng/mL can we be sure that we have enough iron in our body. Serum iron, which sounds like it wo