Diagnóstico precoce da hipossiderose. Importância da prova terapeutica com ferro oral

Abstract

The authors studied 45 infants with normal hematological levels, but close to the inferior limits. An oral test with 3 mg/k/day of ferrous sulfate was carried out. The patients were divided in 3 groups according to their age. The result was positive in all cases. The mean increase of hemoglobin level was 1 g/dl. The hematocrite and mean corpuscular volume also increased. The authors consider the iron therapeutic trial very easy to accomplish and useful to the diagnosis of latent iron deficiency.