Elemental Iron Ingested (Toxic Dose)

Elemental iron ingested estimator: elemental mg = tablets x mg iron salt per tablet x percent elemental (ferrous sulfate 20%, gluconate 12%, fumarate 33%, or elemental=100%); dose mg/kg = elemental / weight.

Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.

Example

Number of tablets ingested
20
Iron salt per tablet
325 mg
Iron salt
Ferrous sulfate (20% elemental)
Body weight
20 kg

Result: Elemental iron 1300 mg; 65 mg/kg — severe / potentially serious toxicity.

The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.

What the result means

Thresholds
< 20 mg/kg minimal, 20-60 mild-moderate, > 60 severe / potentially serious, > 150 potentially lethal.
Caution
Advisory triage estimate from a reported amount; involve Poison Control and use a serum iron level. A low estimate never rules out a serious ingestion.

What you enter

  • Number of tablets ingested
  • Iron salt per tablet (mg)
  • Iron salt
  • Body weight (kg)
How this is calculated
Formula
elemental mg = tablets x mg salt/tablet x percent elemental (sulfate 20%, gluconate 12%, fumarate 33%); mg/kg = elemental / weight.

Iron poisoning. Merck Manual Professional Version; and Yuen HW, Becker W. Iron Toxicity. StatPearls. (NBK459224.) Read the source ↗

A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.

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Built by Clay Good. Source on GitHub.