[Treatment of renal anemia with iron in hemodialysis patients in General Hospital Bjelovar].

Renal anemia is caused by a lack of erythropoietin and iron, and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Iron deficiency is more common than previously thought. Diagnosis of absolute and relative iron deficiency is difficult because of the lack of an ideal diagnostic method. Adequate supplementation of iron in patients with renal anemia at a certain percentage of patients corrects anemia, while the other reduces the required doses of erythropoesis stimulating agents (ESAs), which can reduce treatment costs. In Department of Dialysis of General Hospital Bjelovar we carried out a retrospective study about treating renal anemia with iron during 36 months in 67 patients on chronic hemodialysis program in a period from 2007. to 2010. Our goal was to see if we adequately treat renal anemia with iron and to show the connection between the level of hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT). The average value of ferritin in the 36 months follow-up was 196.8mcg/l, TSAT 24.16%, 107.8 g Hb/l. We conclude that the elevation of ferritin and TSAT correlates with the increase of Hb values in patients with renal anemia. Ferritin and TSAT values in our center are above the minimum criteria recommended by guidelines, but not within the target values for the treated population.