CIRTACS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can Intravenous Iron Reduce Transfusion rates in Anaemic patients undergoing Cardiac Surgery
IRAS ID
105005
Contact name
Lorraine Jacques
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Wolverhampton NHS trust
Eudract number
2012-005666-35
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN22158788
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 0 days
Research summary
Patients who are anaemic and undergo cardiac surgery are more likely to require blood transfusion within the peri-operative period. It has been reported that those patients who have blood transfusion after cardiac surgery are more likely to develop complications and have both a longer hospital stay and a higher mortality. Hence a reduction in the need for blood transfusion could improve the outcome of cardiac surgery.
There is, also, some growing evidence to suggest that a significant rise of up to 2g can be achieved in anaemic patients who are treated with intravenous iron prior (3-6 weeks) to their bowel cancer operation.
In this pilot study, patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery at the Heart and Lung Centre and whose pre-operative haemoglobin is less than 11.5 g/dl in women and 12.5 g/dl in men will be recruited. Patients will be divided in two groups. One group will be treated as per current practice while patients in the other group will be treated with intravenous iron 3-6 weeks pre-op.
If the intravenous iron therapy is proven to improve the pre-op haemoglobin level, then the need for transfusions post-operatively would likely be reduced. The additional effects of correction of anaemia will potentially improve patient’s recovery with shorter in-hospital length of stay and a reduction in complication rates. This has the potential of improving patient’s outcome with an associated cost saving.
This study will also allow for a bigger multi-centre trial to be designed to assess the full benefits of intravenous iron in a bigger sample size.REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EM/0086
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion