In a dialysis patient without laboratory evidence of inflammation, the amount of iron that should be given during the first 2–3 weeks of initiating rHuEPO therapy can be calculated from the anticipated increase in circulating hemoglobin (roughly 4 mg iron/kg body weight for each 10 g/L hemoglobin rise) minus iron stores based on 8 mg available iron per μg/L serum ferritin or 3–4 mg/μg/L serum ferritin if the CRP is elevated.