Table 2. Randomized controlled trials with an intravenous iron comparator arm/group included in the meta-analysis.
| First author, year | Study | Participants | Age | Duration | Iron dose( 1 ) | FeSO4 | IV | Baseline Hb g/dL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (reference) | design | (mean) | (weeks) | (mg/day) | n | GISEs n (%) | n | GISEs n (%) | (FeSO4)( 2 ) | |
| Agarwal, 2006 [74] | Parallel | Non-dialysis CKD | 62.3 | 6 | 195 | 45 | 9 (20) | 44 | 13 (30) | 10.7 |
| Auerbach, 2004 [75]( 3 ) | Parallel | Cancer patients | 66 | 6 | 130 | 43 | 1 (2) | 78 | 0 (0) | 9.7 |
| Bhandal, 2006 [76] | Parallel | Post-partum | 28 | 6 | 130 | 21 | 7 (33) | 22 | 0 (0) | 7.5 |
| Breymann, 2008 [77] | Parallel | Post-partum | 27.5 | 12 | 200 | 117 | 12 (10) | 227 | 8 (4) | 9.76 |
| Charytan, 2005 [78]( 3 ) | Parallel | CKD | 60 | 4.1 | 195 | 48 | 17 (35) | 48 | 6 (13) | 9.7 |
| Guerra Merino, 2012 [61] | Parallel | Post-partum | 30 | 6 | 120 slow-Fe | 7 | 2 (29) | 6 | 0 (0) | 8.6 |
| Henry, 2007 [79]( 3 ) | Parallel | Cancer | 65.3 | 8 | 195 | 61 | 24 (39) | 63 | 24 (38) | 10.3 |
| Mudge 2012 [80] | Parallel | Kidney transplant | 46.4 | 3 | 210 | 51 | 6 (12) | 51 | 3 (6) | 9.8 |
| Seid, 2008 [81] | Parallel | Post-partum | 26.5 | 6 | 195 | 147 | 16 (11) | 142 | 3 (2) | 8.88 |
| Strickland, 1977 [58] | Cross-over | Dialysis CKD | NR | 26 | 100 slow-Fe | 20 | 2 (10) | 20 | 0 (0) | 8.03 |
| Tokars, 2010 [82] | Parallel | CKD | NR | 8 | 195 | 91 | 11 (12) | 91 | 7 (8) | ≤ 11 |
| Van Wyck, 2005 [83] | Parallel | Non-dialysis CKD | 63.9 | 8 | 195 | 91 | 16 (18) | 91 | 8 (9) | 10.1 |
| Van Wyck, 2007 [84] | Parallel | Post-partum | 26.1 | 6 | 195 | 178 | 43 (24) | 174 | 11 (6) | 9 |
| Van Wyck, 2009 [85] | Parallel | Heavy menorrhagia | 39.5 | 6 | 195 | 226 | 32 (14) | 230 | 8 (3) | 9.4 |
| Kochhar, 2013 [86]( 4 ) | Parallel | Pregnancy (24–34 wk) | 23 | 4 | 180 | 50 | 4 (8) | 50 | 2 (4) | 7.6 |
| Vazquez Pacheco, 1980 [87]( 5 ) | Parallel | Pregnancy | 26 | 4 | 195 | 20 | 4 (20) | 20 | 0 (0) | 7.76 |
| Al-Momen, 1996 [88] | Parallel | Pregnancy (<32 wk) | 27.6 | 6.9 | 180 | 59 | 18 (31) | 52 | 0 (0) | 7.66 |
| Bayoumeu, 2002 [56](6) | Parallel | Pregnancy (24 wk) | 23 | 4 | 240 slow-Fe | 25 | 1 (4) | 25 | 0 (0) | 9.7 |
| Bencaiova, 2009 [57] | Parallel | Pregnancy (15–20 wk) | Range 15–42 | NR | 80 slow-Fe | 130 | 23 (18) | 130 | 0 (0) | 12.4 |
| Kulnigg, 2008 [89] | Parallel | IBD | 47 | 12 | 200 | 63 | 4 (6) | 137 | 4 (3) | 9.1 |
| Lindgren, 2009 [30] | Parallel | IBD | 42.8 | 20 | 400 | 46 | 11 (24) | 45 | 0 (0) | 10.38 |
| Reinisch, 2013 [90] | Parallel | IBD | Median 35 | 8 | 200 | 109 | 4 (4) | 223 | 3 (1) | 9.61 |
| Schroder, 2005 [91] | Parallel | IBD | Median 33 | 6 | 100 | 24 | 5 (21) | 22 | 2 (9) | 9.6 |
Six out of the 23 studies contained a co-intervention in both arms as indicated.
Abbreviations: M, male; F, female; CKD, chronic kidney disease; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; NR, not reported or unclear; GISEs, gastrointestinal side effects shown as percentage of patients that experience gastrointestinal side-effects; Hb, hemoglobin;FeSO4, ferrous sulfate group; IV, intravenous iron group; slow-Fe, modified-release ferrous sulfate.
(1) Iron dose in the FeSO4 group, unless indicated all trials used standard ferrous sulfate (i.e. not modified-release) and daily posology. Tardyferon® used in studies [56,57,61] and Ferrogradumet-Abbot used in study [58].
(2) There was no statistically significant difference in baseline hemoglobin between the ferrous sulfate and the IV iron arms/groups.
(3) Co-intervention: recombinant erythropoietin.
(4) Co-intervention: mebendazole and folic acid.
(5) Co-intervention: vitamin B12 and folic acid.
(6) Co-intervention: folic acid.