Oral iron supplementation is usually the first choicefor the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, but in many conditions, oral iron is less thanideal mainly because of gastrointestinal adverse events and the long course needed to treatthe disease and replenish body iron stores. Intravenous iron compounds consist of an ironoxyhydroxide core, which is surrounded by a carbohydrate shell made of polymers suchas dextran, sucrose or gluconate.