A forgotten screening test for iron deficiency anemia: oral iron absorption test.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to investigate the iron absorption defects using the oral iron absorption test (OIAT) in patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Forty-six patients with IDA which nonresponder to oral iron treatment were included in the study. OIAT was started at 8 a.m. after an overnight fast; 52.8 mg of elemental iron were given orally as 160 mg of iron sulfate. Iron levels of all participants were analyzed at baseline and at the 3rd hour of the study.

RESULTS

Compared to baseline; serum iron levels whose serum iron levels exceed 91 mcg/ dl in 40(%87) patients. Further investigations in 6 patients revealed that 4 patients had chronic atrophic gastritis with helicobacter pylori infection; while the remaining 2 patients did not have any prominent.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that OIAT is a good index for the evaluation of absorption defects and can be a screening clinical test of IDA.