Table 3.

Advantages and disadvantages between oral and intravenous iron.

	Oral Iron	IV Iron
Choice of administration	Mild IDA (Hb > 100 g/L) Quiescent IBD	Severe anaemia (Hb < 100 g/L) Intolerant to oral iron Moderate to severe IBD activity
Pros	Greater availability Ease of administration Low cost	Bypasses GI tract absorption Less side effects
Cons	Side effects with poor patient tolerance Discontinuation in 20% Increases IBD activity Disrupts microbiome	Low bioavailability Inconvenience of IV application Greater cost Risk of hypersensitivity reaction *

* Hypersensitivity risk rare in LMW (low molecular weight) dextran and newer IV formulations. IDA: iron deficiency anaemia; GI: gastrointestinal; Hb: haemoglobin; IBD: inflammatory bowel disease.