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Original Article
 

Adverse Reactions of Prophylactic Intravenous Immunoglobulin; A 13-Year Experience With 3004 Infusions in Iranian Patients With Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases
 

S Dashti-Khavidaki,1 A Aghamohammadi,2,3 F Farshadi,1 M Movahedi,2 N Parvaneh,2,3 N Pouladi,3 K Moazzami,3 T Cheraghi,2 SA Mahdaviani,2 S Saghafi ,3 G Heydari,3 S Abdollahzade,3 N Rezaei4

1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Growth and Development Research Center, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2009; Vol. 19(2): 139-145
 

 Abstract


Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement therapy improves health-related quality of life in patients with a primary immunodeficiency disease, although there have been reports of adverse reactions associated with its regular administration.
The study population was composed of 99 patients with primary antibody defi ciencies. All the patients were diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency disease and received at least 4 infusions of IVIG at the Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran, Iran over a 13-year period (1995-2007).
A total of 3004 infusions were recorded, and 216 (7.2%) of these were associated with adverse reactions in 66 patients. Adverse reactions were classified as mild (172 reactions), moderate (41 reactions), and severe (3 reactions). The rate of adverse reaction varied by diagnosis from 3.35% in patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia to 17.4% in IgG subclass deficiency. There were no age-related differences in the rates of adverse reactions.
Adverse reactions to IVIG infusions are occasionally encountered; therefore, physicians and nurses should be aware of these reactions in order to manage and prevent them.

Key words: Adverse reactions. Infusion. Intravenous immunoglobulin. Primary antibody defi ciencies. Primary immunodeficiency diseases.