Abstract | OBJECTIVES: METHODS: Eight consecutive patients, four with MMN and four with CIDP, already on long-term, hospital-based IVIG were switched to home-based SCIG. These patients were selected on the basis of their requirement for relatively low treatment doses, problems experienced with IVIG, and their willingness to switch to SCIG. RESULTS: After a mean 33 [standard deviation (SD) 19] months receiving SCIG, 7 patients remained neurologically stable and 6 remained on a similar mean weekly immunoglobulin dose relative to their original intravenous dose. A good outcome was reported by 7 of the 8 patients: there were improvements in nausea and headache (n = 4), need to travel to hospital (n = 4), venous access problems (n = 3), immunoglobulin-induced neutropenia (n = 3), treatment wearing-off fluctuations (n = 2), IVIG-induced allergy requiring antihistamine/ hydrocortisone (n = 1) and time taken off work (n = 1). The eighth patient required increasing doses of immunoglobulin to maintain strength but still wanted to continue SCIG. Seven patients completed a questionnaire: there was a very high overall satisfaction level with immunoglobulin treatment [mean 96 (SD 5), visual analogue scale (VAS) where 0 = very unsatisfied, 100 = very satisfied]; and very strong preference for subcutaneous over intravenous immunoglobulin (VAS mean 93 [SD 12] where 0 = prefer IVIG, 100 = prefer SCIG). CONCLUSIONS: In seven of the eight patients, SCIG gave improved tolerability and patient satisfaction with similar efficacy compared with IVIG.
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Authors | Robert D M Hadden, Fabrizio Marreno |
Journal | Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders
(Ther Adv Neurol Disord)
Vol. 8
Issue 1
Pg. 14-9
(Jan 2015)
ISSN: 1756-2856 [Print] England |
PMID | 25584070
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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