TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2003//
TI  - Iron
JO  - Medicine (Abingdon)
A1  - Bateman, D. Nicholas
SP  - 54
EP  - 55
VL  - 31
IS  - 10
N2  - 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 /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 1357-3039
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1383/medc.31.10.54.27813
ID  - ref1
ER  -