• Stephen Su Yang, Latifa Al Kharusi, Adam Gosselin, Anissa Chirico, Pouya Gholipour Baradari, and Matthew J Cameron.
• Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. stephen.yang@mail.mcgill.ca.
• Can J Anaesth. 2022 Jan 1; 69 (1): 129-139.

PurposeIron supplementation has been evaluated in several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for its potential to increase baseline hemoglobin and decrease red blood cell transfusion during cardiac surgery. This study's main objective was to evaluate the current evidence for iron administration in cardiac surgery patients.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science databases, and Google Scholar from inception to 19 November 2020 for RCTs evaluating perioperative iron administration in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The RCTs were assessed using a risk of bias assessment and the quality of evidence was assessed using the grading of recommendations, assessments, development, and evaluations.ResultsWe reviewed 1,767 citations, and five studies (n = 554) met the inclusion criteria. The use of iron showed no statistical difference in incidence of transfusion (risk ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.65 to 1.13). Trial sequential analysis suggested an optimal information size of 1,132 participants, which the accrued information size did not reach.ConclusionThe current literature does not support or refute the routine use of iron therapy in cardiac surgery patients.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO (CRD42020161927); registered 19 December 2019.© 2021. Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.

11 keywords...

hide…