Overview
- The analysis used a de-identified U.S. hospital database from 2000–2024 covering more than 85,000 adults hospitalized with acute bacterial infection and iron‑deficiency anemia.
- Patients who received intravenous iron were less likely to die within 14 or 90 days and had larger hemoglobin increases than those who did not receive it.
- The strongest survival associations were seen in pneumonia, MRSA bacteremia, and colitis, with no signal of harm across studied groups.
- Results for bacterial meningitis were neutral, a finding the investigators attribute to the small cohort of 143 patients.
- Findings were presented in an American Society of Hematology plenary session today, with authors noting absent details on pathogens, iron formulations, dosing, and treatment timing.