Management overview for iron poisoning

Note: Urgently contact a clinical toxicologist or poisons information centre if severe iron toxicity is suspected or anticipated.

Iron poisoning is relatively uncommon. Most iron poisonings result from an accidental ingestion of oral iron supplements in children, and have a low risk of significant toxicity unless a large amount is ingested. Iron supplements are available as solid immediate-release or modified-release preparations, and as liquid formulations. Multivitamin preparations may also contain iron, but generally only a small amount, and therefore the risk of iron poisoning is negligible. Iron is also available as an intravenous formulation, but this is rarely implicated in poisonings.

The risk of developing toxicity following iron ingestion depends on:

the amount of elemental iron ingested, which varies depending on the iron salt ingested
the peak serum iron concentration.

If severe iron toxicity is suspected or anticipated, urgently contact a clinical toxicologist or poisons information centre (13 11 26). Management of iron poisoning focuses on supportive care and, if indicated, whole bowel irrigation, and chelation therapy with desferrioxamine.