Posthaemorrhagic iron deficiency. Clinical course, 59Fe whole-body iron losses, and oral iron supplementation.

Clinical and laboratory data characterizing post-haemorrhagic anaemia with still normal iron stores and posthaemorrhagic iron deficiency in the manifest, latent or prelatent stage are presented. Initially, increased 59Fe whole-body iron losses (greater than 0.1-3.6%/day) returned to normal range (less than 0.1%/day) after haemostasis. Subsequently, slow increase of haemoglobin and repletion of iron stores occurred under normal diets. Manifest, latent, and prelatent iron deficiencies were corrected much more rapidly by total doses of 12.0, 10.5 and 8.0 g iron (Fe2+ sulfate), respectively, when 2 X 50 mg/day were given in quick-release capsules apart from meals.