Oral Vs Parentral Iron Therapy among Women in Post-Partum Period

Objective: To determine efficacy of oral iron therapy as compared to parentral iron therapy.Study design and duration: This is a prospective study of observational type. Study consists on the duration of 5 months.Setting: This study was conducted in Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur.Patients and Methods: Anemic patients having Hb less than 10g/dl were included in this study. Two groups were formed group-A and group-B. Group-A was given oral iron therapy while group-B was given Intravenous iron therapy and outcome was noted after 30 days and 60 days in the form of hemoglobin level, hematochrit and MCV values. All data collected was analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft office version 2016. Results were calculated in the form of frequencies and percentages and averages. Tables and Graphs used to present data. Consent was taken from ethical committee of the study hospital and consent was also taken from all cases in study group.Results: There were total 70 cases in study group selected via randomized controlled trials. There were two groups containing 35 in each group. In group-A after 60 days of iron therapy via oral route HB value was 10.7 g/dl and after 60 days 11.8g/dl with the change of 22.4% in HB level. In Group-B after 60 days of intravenous iron therapy HB level was 12.9 g/dl with improvement of 38.8% in HB level. P- Value was 0.05. Age range of cases was 15-35 years of age with mean age of 31.4 years. Baseline characteristics of cases in group-A were age 33±4 years, BMI 23±5, HB level was 9.2±1 g/dl, Hematochrit (HCT) was 29.5±3 and MCV was 72±0.6. In group B mean age was 34±3, BMI 21±2, HB level 9.2±0.5, Hct was 28.6±3.4, MCV was 70±4. Conclusion: Parentral route of iron therapy is more effective in post partum period in women than oral route with more improvement in blood hemoglobin, hematochrit and MCV value.