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Treatment of anaemia after joint replacement

A DOUBLE-BLIND, RANDOMISED, CONTROLLED TRIAL OF FERROUS SULPHATE VERSUS PLACEBO

Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Northern General Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield S5 7AU, UK.

J. P. Livesey, FRCS (Trauma & Orth), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon; K. Speed, MRC Path, Consultant Haematologist; and T. Bagga, FRCS (Orth), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Scartho Road, Grimsby, North Lincolnshire DN33 2BA, UK.

Correspondence should be sent to Mr P. M. Sutton.

After total hip and knee replacement arthoplasty, patients may become anaemic and may be prescribed oral iron. There is, however, no published evidence that this is of benefit when used postoperatively. We treated 72 patients who were anaemic after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty by randomly allocating them to receive six weeks of either oral ferrous sulphate (35 patients) or a placebo (37 patients). Both groups of patients were similar in all aspects except for the treatment given. There was no statistically significant difference in the change of haemoglobin levels between the two groups. We therefore believe that the prescription of iron to all anaemic patients postoperatively should be avoided. The level of serum ferritin should be monitored at preoperative assessment.

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				W. Y. KIM and P. M. SUTTON Treatment of anaemia after joint replacement J Bone Joint Surg Br, March 1, 2005; 87-B(3): 433 - 433. [Full Text] [PDF]