Iron Infusion skin staining

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in Australia and remains one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in general practice. Iron deficiency anaemia is typically treated with dietary changes (to increase the intake of iron rich foods) and iron supplement tablets.  Some doctors also prescribe an iron infusion.

Intravenous iron polymaltose infusions, or iron infusion, is a procedure in which iron is delivered to your body intravenously (into a vein through a needle).

You should only consider an iron infusion if you can’t take iron by mouth or have difficulty absorbing iron.

 The most common side effects of iron infusion are generally mild, temporary and include:

• headache, feeling sick or vomiting, muscle or joint pain
• changes in taste (eg. metallic)
• changes to blood pressure or pulse.

Sometimes skin staining (brown discolouration) may occur due to leakage of iron into the tissues around the needle site. This is not common, but the stain can be long lasting or permanent. Skin staining needs to be investigated to see if the outcome could have been avoided with the exercise of due care.