A Young Adult with Unintentional Acute Parenteral Iron intoxication Treated with Oral Chelation: The Use of Liver Ferriscan.

Abstract

Acute iron poisoning in humans has not been adequately studied. Toxicity depends on the severity of iron overload. Manifestation of acute iron poisoning, defined as a serum iron concentration >300 µg/dL (55 µmol/L) within 12 hours of ingestion, by oral route include numerous symptoms which appear in progressive stages.  Systemic toxicity is expected with an ingestion of 60 mg/kg.  A 27 year old female nurse presented to hematology department with iron toxicity 1 week after self-injecting herself with 20 ampoules of IV iron (4000 mg elemental iron, 60 mg/kg). Her vital signs were stable but she had mild hepatic tenderness.