Treatment of iron deficiency anemia associated with gastrointestinal tract diseases

Table 2 Pros and cons of parenteral iron over oral iron therapy

Pros

Assured repletion of iron stores regardless of factors affecting iron absorption

Rapid reversal of iron deficiency

Certain or at least assessable adherence to therapy

Infrequent side effects

One-time administration (FeCarb & LMWID)

Cons

Rare lethal drug-related adverse events

Expensive

Requires facilities/staff for administration

Simply taking tablets may be more convenient for some patients

FeCarb: Ferric carboxymaltose; LMWID: Low-molecular weight iron dextran.