A 27-year-old woman at 32 weeks has iron deficiency anaemia with haemoglobin 7.5 g/dL despite 6 weeks of compliant oral iron. She cannot tolerate further oral preparations. Which parenteral preparation allows replacement of the complete calculated iron deficit in a SINGLE visit?

• A Ferric carboxymaltose ✓
• B Iron sucrose
• C Iron dextran
• D Ferrous ascorbate

Explanation

Ferric carboxymaltose permits administration of up to 1000 to 1500 mg in a single short infusion, so the total dose infusion can be completed in one visit, which is its principal advantage in late pregnancy. Iron sucrose has a maximum single dose of about 200 mg and needs multiple sittings over days. Conventional iron dextran carries a real risk of anaphylactoid reactions. Ferrous ascorbate is an oral salt, not a parenteral agent.

Reference: Williams Obstetrics, 26th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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