Assessment of IVIG treatment in children and its complications [Babol; 1999-2004]

ABSTRACT

IVIG is used in patients incapable of producing antibodies and in autoimmune disorders. IVIG infusion rarely causes undesirable reactions due to the speed of infusion. So, this study was performed to determine the indications and complications of IVIG infusion. This descriptive study was performed on 265 patients, hospitalized in Amirkola pediatric hospital, needing IVIG infusions, from October 1999 to June 2004. Data was analyzed by SPSS. T-test, chi square and fisher exact test were used to compare drug complications based on age and speed of infusion in two genders. In this research, 265 patients with 871 infusions were studied. One hundred and thirty one patients [49.4%] were male and 134 [50.6%] were female. Two patients [0.7%] had autoimmune hemolytic anemia, one patient [0.3%] had ataxia telangectasia, 9 patients [3.4%] had refractory seizure, 2 patients [0.7%] had guillain-barre syndrome, 83 patients [31.3%] had immune thrombocytopenic purpura, 46 patients [17.3%] had kawasaki, 51 patients [19.2%] had immunodeficiency and 72 patients [27.1%] were premature neonates. Among the studied patients, 17 infusions [1.95%] had complications, which were mild in 14 patients [82.5%], moderate in 2 patients [11.7%] and severe in 1 patient [5.8%]. Complication was the same in both genders, and it had a significant difference with the speed of drug infusion [P<0.05]. The most common cause of IVIG infusion is immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Complications are usually mild and had relationship with the speed of drug infusion