Iron Poisoning - an Overview

Iron is one of the most widespread elements in the earth crust. Its presence in soils has long been a forgone pedological fact. Iron toxicity occurs when, under the reductive effect of the environment, bacteria cause anaerobic respiration by releasing large quantities of ferrous ions (Fe2+) in the solution. The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the iron poisoning, etiology, pharmacology, metabolism, clinical features, diagnosis and therapy. The information has been obtained by searching relevant literature using Chemical abstract, Pubmed, Delnet, Science direct, Dove press, Medline and other data bases. This review discusses aspects of chronic and acute exposures of iron toxicity management. However, treatment comprises fluid and electrolyte resuscitation in an ICU and iron chelating agents. Commonly used iron chelators are Desferrioxamine, or CAVH (Continuous arteriovenous haemofiltration) may be helpful in cases of severe poisoning.