Clinical Associations in Pediatric ECLS patients with Elevated Iron Markers

Elevated serum ferritin, or hyperferritinemia, is frequently used as a surrogate to represent iron overload in patients who undergo chronic transfusions. Recently, increased ferritin and iron levels have been found in pediatric Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) patients. While elevated ferritin may represent an acute inflammatory phase reactant alone, it can also represent both acute or chronic iron overload due to large volume or chronic transfusion. Recognition of iron overload is crucial because when untreated it …