Management of copper deficiency

Management

Treatment of hypocupraemia includes management of the underlying cause and prompt reversal of the deficiency with intravenous copper infusion, oral supplementation of copper, or both

• copper gluconate, copper sulphate, and copper chloride salts are used commonly

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Clinical Practice guidelines recommendations:

• routine oral copper supplementation (2 mg/d)
• for severe deficiency - IV copper (2-4 mg/d) for six days
• subsequent treatment, or treatment of mild to moderate deficiency - oral copper (3-8 mg/d) until levels normalise

With treatment, haematological abnormalities return to normal values within 4 to 12 weeks.

Adequacy of replacement should be monitored by periodic assessment of serum copper (1)

Reference

1. Chhetri SK et al. Copper deficiency. BMJ. 2014;348:g3691