Serum Iron

Alternative names:

Fe++; Fe+2; ferric ion; ferrous ion; iron - serum

What the risks are:

• excessive bleeding
• fainting or feeling lightheaded
• hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
• multiple punctures to locate veins

Special considerations:

Nonpharmacological factors that can effect iron measurements include a recent blood transfusion, the ingestion of food with a high iron content prior to the test, and the ingestion of iron supplements.

Drugs that can increase iron measurements include chloramphenicol, estrogens, oral contraceptives, and methyldopa.

Drugs that can decrease iron measurements include cholestyramine, chloramphenicol, colchicine, deferoxamine, methicillin, allopurinol, and testosterone.

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.