Skip to main content

Table 1 Iron parameters characteristic of anemia in chronic disease or critical illness

From: Iron supplementation in the intensive care unit: when, how much, and by what route?

Parameter (units)

ACD

Iron deficiency

Normal

Serum ferritin (μg/l)

>50

<50

15–300

Serum iron (μg/dl)

<30

<30

50–150

TIBC (μmol/l)

Normal

Elevated

47–70

% Saturation

>20%

<15%

16–40%

RBC zinc protoporphyrin (μg/dl)

<1.24

>1.24

<70

Erythropoietin level (mU/ml)

Normal (inappropriately low)

Elevated

4–28

STfR (mg/l)

Normal

Elevated

2.8–8.5

TfR-F index

Low (<1)

High (>4)

1–4

  1. ACD, anemia of chronic disease/inflammation; % saturation = (iron/total iron binding capacity) × 100; STfR, serum transferrin receptor; TfR-F index, sTfR/ferritin. Values derived from Rodriguez and coworkers [3], Hudson and Comstock [22], Miller and coworkers [49], and Punnonen and coworkers [50].
Back to article page

Critical Care

ISSN: 1364-8535