@article{ref1,
title="Iron",
journal="Medicine (Abingdon)",
year="2003",
author="Bateman, D. Nicholas",
volume="31",
number="10",
pages="54-55",
abstract="Numerous iron preparations are available on prescription and over the counter, the latter types commonly co-formulated with vitamins. Acute iron poisoning occurs mainly in childhood, partly because iron preparations are usually brightly coloured tablets indistinguishable from sweets. Adults occasionally ingest large quantities in self-poisoning episodes.Iron content - the amount of iron salt contained in a tablet or syrup must be distinguished from its elemental iron content, because the latter is a better guide to toxicity than the former. •A 200 mg ferrous fumarate tablet contains 65 mg of elemental iron.•A 200 mg ferrous sulphate tablet contains 60 mg.•A 300 mg ferrous gluconate tablet contains only 35 mg.Such differences become more important as the number of tablets involved in a poisoning episode increases. Some combined iron and vitamin preparations contain toxicologically insignificant amounts of iron, but others contain as much ferrous sulphate as prescribed preparations; this should be checked with a poisons information service. Serious toxicity is unlikely unless more than 60 mg of elemental iron per kilogram body weight has been ingested; 180-300 mg/kg is fatal.<p />",
language="",
issn="1357-3039",
doi="10.1383/medc.31.10.54.27813",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1383/medc.31.10.54.27813"
}