A Retrospective Analysis of the Safety Profile of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in 1176 Patients Receiving Home Infusion Therapy

Objectives: This analysis assessed the safety of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in the treatment of patients with neuroimmunological and immunological disorders in a home-based setting. Methods: Adverse reactions (ARs) were assessed in a retrospective review of 1176 patients receiving 28,677 home-based IVIg infusions between 1996 and 2013. Results: Of 1176 patients, 648 (55.1%) experienced IVIg-related ARs; 536 (45.6%) were mild, 78 (6.6%) moderate, and 34 (2.9%) severe. Thirty-seven (3.1%) patients were hospitalized because of ARs; of these, headache was most common (51.4%). Mean number of ARs per patient increased from 1.4 (low dose) to 3.6 (high dose). Incidence of ARs increased from 41% in the first 5-year moving average in 2003 to 65% in 2008. The number of ARs correlated with the number of infusions (ρ = 0.24; P
Source: Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease - Category: Neurology Tags: Original Article Source Type: research