IRON OVERLOAD
Acute iron poisoning [Ref38]
Children 2 years:
- Lethal dose (iron sulphate) ................... 3 g
- Severe poisonings ............................ 1 g
Adults:
- Lethal dose ............. 200-250 mg /kg BW
Number of cases in USA:
- Ca. 2 000 per year
Number of cases in Norway 1991:
- Children < 1 year 0
- Children 1 - 3 years 16
- Children 3 - 6 years 7
- Adults 4
SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS
(May occur to a variable degree)
- lassitude
- arthropathy
- arrhythmia
- abdominal pains
- reduced libido
- diabetes
- impotence
- cirrhosis
- pituitary insufficiency
- cardiac arrest
- hepato- and splenomegaly
- liver cancer
[Ref 38]
Some causes of chronic iron overload (haemochromatosis):
→ Primary haemochromatosis (idiopathic, hereditary)
→ Secondary haemochromatosis (acquired):
Anaemia due to inefficient erythropoiesis
- thalassaemia major
- sideroblastic anaemia
- haemolytic anaemias (e.g., pyruvate kinase deficiency)
Liver diseases
- alcoholic cirrhosis
- succeeding portacava anastomosis
Increased oral iron intake
- long-lasting medical iron ingestion (see SECONDARY IRON OVERLOAD)
- iron-containing food with iron-containing brew (Bantu peoples / Kaffir beer (= wort, Norwegian = vørter))