Crit Care Resusc
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The IRONMAN trial: a protocol for a multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial of intravenous iron in intensive care unit patients with anaemia.
Allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is associated with significant increases in mortality and major morbidity in patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and the blood supplies it requires are an increasingly scarce and costly resource. Despite high levels of compliance with recommended transfusion thresholds in the ICU, RBC transfusion remains common. Novel interventions to reduce the incidence of RBC transfusion are required. ⋯ The IRONMAN trial is designed to determine whether IV iron administered to patients admitted to an ICU and who are anaemic is associated with a reduction in RBC transfusion, compared with placebo in addition to standard care. The results of this trial may determine whether a Phase III trial of IV iron in ICUs is feasible.