title: Home IVIG for CIDP: a focus on patient centred care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the safety and tolerability of home-based intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (Gamunex) as maintenance treatment in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled ten subjects with CIDP who had previously received IVIG in the hospital setting to receive the comparable IVIG dose (1-2 g/kg/month) in the home for six months. The patients were evaluated in the clinic at three months and at six months to evaluate their clinical status as well as the safety and tolerability of IVIG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects tolerated home-based IVIG treatment as maintenance treatment of CIDP. There were no serious adverse events related to IVIG. Subjects did experience "anticipated" IVIG events post-infusion such as headache and fatigue, which were managed with analgesics and supportive counseling. One subject withdrew consent at end of study due to hospitalization. This event was not related to the IVIG. Another subject experienced a "flare" of CIDP symptoms near the end of the study, however, completed all visits as per protocol. All subjects expressed excellent satisfaction with the individualized therapy, and almost all (nine out of ten) patients preferred home-infusion to hospital-infusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous immunoglobulin can be delivered safely and is well tolerated outside the hospital setting in Canada in patients with chronic, stable neuromuscular conditions such as CIDP who have previously tolerated IVIG in the hospital medical day Care Unit.
authors.affiliation: Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.
authors.forename: Hans D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Katzberg
authors.forename: Vilija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rasutis
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bril
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors