This version was machine-translated from German and has not been medically reviewed. The authoritative version is the German version.

Iron poisoning: triage by mg/kg

Elemental iron in mg/kg from number of pieces and iron content – from 40 mg/kg have it assessed medically (AAPCC guideline 2005)

Details

Body weight (kg)

In pregnant women, the pre-pregnancy weight.

Type of preparation

Adult vitamin supplements containing iron count as iron salt, not as a children's chewable tablet.

Amount ingested (pieces (or ml))

When in doubt, assume the largest possible amount.

Elemental iron per piece (or per ml) (mg)

Stated on the package as “mg iron” or “mg Fe2+”. Not the amount of salt: ferrous sulfate contains 20 %, fumarate 33 %, gluconate 12 % elemental iron.

Suspected self-harm or intentional administration by others

Severe or persistent symptoms (persistent vomiting and diarrhea, impaired consciousness, hematemesis, bloody diarrhea)

Calculation aid for healthcare professionals: the calculator reproduces what the sources cited assign to the inputs. Clinical assessment and every treatment decision remain with the treating physician. Inputs and results are not stored.

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Sources

Iron ingestion: an evidence-based consensus guideline for out-of-hospital management (Clin Toxicol 43:553–570) Manoguerra AS, Erdman AR, Booze LL, et al.; American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), 2005. Consensus guideline for poison information centers, full text read (https://www.clintox.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Iron-Ingestion.pdf); grade C/D recommendations
Poison information centers (poison control centers) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL), 2026. List of the authority, read on 2026-11-08
Tox Info Suisse – emergency number Tox Info Suisse, Zurich, 2026. Website, read on 2026-11-08

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Note

Calculation aid for healthcare professionals. Clinical assessment remains with the treating physician.

Review date of the German original: 2026-11-08 · Methodology

Frequently asked questions

Iron poisoning: triage by mg/kg: What does this calculator compute?

Calculates, after accidental ingestion of iron tablets, the amount of elemental iron in mg/kg body weight. According to the guideline of the US poison control centers (AAPCC, Manoguerra 2005): from 40 mg/kg, with severe or persistent symptoms or when intentional ingestion is suspected, have it assessed medically; below that, with mild symptoms, observation at home. Does not replace calling the poison information center.

Iron poisoning: triage by mg/kg: Which sources is this calculator based on?

Manoguerra AS, Erdman AR, Booze LL, et al.; American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC): Iron ingestion: an evidence-based consensus guideline for out-of-hospital management (Clin Toxicol 43:553–570) (2005); Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL): Poison information centers (poison control centers) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (2026); Tox Info Suisse, Zürich: Tox Info Suisse – emergency number (2026)