Rational use of haematinic drugs is essential to the correction of anaemia in its various forms. The emergence of haemopoietic growth factors as drugs that stimulate erythroid or myeloid cell lines has opened the way to successful management of other forms of haematological disease. Iron: therapy, acute overdose Vitamin B12 (cobalamins) Folic acid Haemopoietic growth factors Sickle cell anaemia Polycythaemia rubra vera Aplastic anaemia 'colouring matter' of the blood and the 'defective nature of the colouring matter' in anaemia were recognised. In fact iron is essential not only to oxygen transport by red cells but as a catalyst for. | SECTION 6 Cellular disorders and anaemias SYNOPSIS Rational use of haematinic drugs is essential to the correction of anaemia in its various forms. The emergence of haemopoietic growth factors as drugs that stimulate erythroid or myeloid cell lines has opened the way to successful management of other forms of haematological disease. Iron therapy acute overdose Vitamin B 2 cobalamins Folic acid Haemopoietic growth factors Sickle cell anaemia Polycythaemia rubra vera Aplastic anaemia Leukaemias and lymphomas see Chapter 30 Iron Iron which was the metal symbolising strength in magical systems used to be given to people suffering from weakness and no doubt many were benefited some psychologically placebo reactors and others because the weakness was due to iron deficiency anaemia. The rational use of iron could not begin until both the presence of iron in the colouring matter of the blood and the defective nature of the colouring matter in anaemia were recognised. In fact iron is essential not only to oxygen transport by red cells but as a catalyst for oxidative metabolism in all cells. Total body iron is 3 5g 40 50 mg kg male female . Haemoglobin contains about two-thirds of total body iron. Stores comprise about one-third ferritin a watersoluble protein-iron complex and haemosiderin an insoluble aggregate in liver marrow spleen and muscle. 5-10 is present in tissues throughout the body in myoglobin a variety of heme enzymes e g. cytochromes and non-haem enzymes e g. metalloflavoproteins Average Western diet contains 10 15 mg iron day. Normal human absorbs 5-10 dietary iron . mg d. which is adequate for an adult male or postmenopausal female but the menstruating or pregnant woman requires 1-3 mg d Iron deficient or pregnant woman absorbs about 30 of dietary iron. Iron is lost from the body mainly in desquamated skin and gut cells and the daily loss in men is under I mg day. in normal menstruating females I S mg day and in pregnancy averages 2 mg day. .
