Hematopoietic Responses to Iron-Dextran

Previous investigators in Great Britain and this country have examined the clinical effect of intramuscular iron-dextran in subjects with iron-deficiency anemia.1-7In these reports, morphologic changes in the peripheral blood stream and marrow organ that followed use of iron-dextran received sparse attention. These responses judge the physiologic utilization of iron derived from its dextran-complexed source in hematopoiesis. Likewise, lack of these characteristic changes should alert the clinician to question the accuracy of his diagnosis of iron deficiency and to inquire if another mechanism is responsible for anemia. This study was conducted in 20 children with iron-deficiency anemia of infancy. Its primary purpose was to assess hematopoietic responses to iron-dextran therapy in this age group. Materials and Methods Patients Studied.—All infants had admissions to the Department of Pediatrics, Harrisburg Hospital, for duration of this investigation, which was usually 21 days. The age of children so observed spanned 7 to