Iron management: innovative solutions to persistent challenges--focus on Ferrlecit.

The use of sodium ferric gluconate in sucrose injection (Ferrlecit) in the treatment of anemia in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) was the major topic at the symposium "Iron Management: Innovative Solutions to Persistent Challenges," held April 14, 1999 during the annual ANNA 30th National Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland. Chairperson Susan Vogel, MHA, RN, CNN, addressed the challenges of anemia management and the limitations of oral iron supplements. She described available intravenous (i.v.) iron therapies and reviewed clinical trial data that demonstrated an excellent safety and efficacy profile for the newly approved i.v. iron supplement, sodium ferric gluconate. Suzanne Schweitzer, RPh, MPH, discussed iron metabolism and the U.S. labeling for sodium ferric gluconate, with a focus on dosing and administration. In the final presentation, Suzanne Seiler, RN, described her clinic's experience with sodium ferric gluconate and provided an experimental dosing and monitoring protocol. Together, these presentations suggest that sodium ferric gluconate is an important new tool for meeting the challenges of iron management in ESRD patients.