The Role of Ferric Carboxymaltose in the Treatment of Pediatric Iron Deficiency Anemia in the Emergency Department

The Role of Ferric Carboxymaltose in the Treatment of Pediatric Iron Deficiency Anemia in the Emergency Department

The goal of this project is to assess the feasibility, clinical effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of IV iron therapy using ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) as a treatment for pediatric patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the emergency department (ED).

The primary objectives are to:

1. examine and compare healthcare utilization and clinical outcomes of IV FCM use in the pediatric ED compared to historical cohort.
2. determine the feasibility of IV FCM in the pediatric ED.

A secondary objective of this study is to evaluate if additional laboratory markers such as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) or reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent can serve as potential surrogate markers for diagnosing and monitoring treatment response of IDA between oral iron and IV FCM.

By evaluating clinical outcomes such as the time to resolution of anemia, hospitalization rates and need for PRBC transfusion, assessing the feasibility of FCM implementation, and secondarily exploring potential adjunct markers for monitoring IDA, this study aims to fill the current research gap and potentially revolutionize management of IDA in pediatric emergency care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1 year to 18 years of age
• Lab results indicative of anemia due to iron deficiency with Hb between 6.0 g/dL-10.0 g/dL for age and gender
• Patient is hemodynamically stable

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients <1 year or > 18 years of age
• Patients with normal Hb or Hb <6 g/dL
• Overt Bleeding (excluding menstrual bleeding)
• Traumatic etiology for blood loss
• Malignancy
• Thrombocytopenia (platelets <100k)
• Active infection