Improving Quality of Life at Home for Pediatric Patients and Families With Primary Immune Deficiencies Using Subcutaneous Immune Globulin Infusions

Abstract

Pediatric patients diagnosed with primary antibody deficiencies often require lifelong immune globulin replacement to help protect them from life-threatening infections. Although this is not a cure or a treatment for the disorder, replacement therapy is necessary to maintain health. The two current viable routes for immune globulin replacement are intravenous or subcutaneous. For many patients, subcutaneous infusions improve quality of life by offering greater independence and better control of the therapy situation and daily life. Subcutaneous infusions have been shown to be easy for both adult patients and children and their parents and to be safe, with minimal or no systemic reactions and no transmission of the hepatitis C virus. All of these factors are very important when considering replacement therapy. Home nursing care and support can also help provide additional support to improve treatment outcomes to enhance quality of life.

Keywords

quality pediatric home immune deficiencies subcutaneous infusion

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abrahamsen, T.G. , Sandersen, H. , & Bustnes, A. (1996). Home therapy with subcutaneous immunoglobulin infusions in children with congenital immunodeficiencies. Pediatrics, 98, 1127-1131.

Daly, P.B. , Evans, J.H. , Kobayashi, R.H. , Kobayashi, A.L. , Ochs, H.D. , Fischer, S.H. , et al. (1991). Home-based immunoglobulin infusion therapy: Quality of life and patient health perceptions. Annals of Allergy, 67, 504-510.

Duff, K. (2006). You can make a difference in the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Journal of Infusion Nursing, 29, 1-10.

Gardulf, A. , Andersen, V. , Björkander, J. , Ericson, D. , Frøland, S.S. , Gustafson, R. , et al. (1995). Subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement in patients with primary antibody deficiencies: Safety and costs. Lancet, 345, 365-369.

Gardulf, A. , Hammarstrom, L. , & Smith, C.I. (1991). Home treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia with subcutaneous gammaglobulin by rapid infusion. Lancet, 338, 162-166.

Gardulf, A. , Moller, G. , & Jonsson, E. (1995). A comparison of the patient-home costs of therapy with gammaglobulin given at the hospital or at home. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 11, 345-353.

Gardulf, A. , Nicolay, U. , Math, D. , Asensio, O. , Bernatowska, E. , Böck, A. , et al. (2004). Children and adults with primary antibody deficiencies gain quality of life by subcutaneous IgG self-infusions at home . Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 114, 936-942.

Gaspar, J. , Gerritsen, B. , & Jones, A. (1998). Immunoglobulin replacement therapy by rapid subcutaneous infusions. Archives of Diseases in Childhood, 79, 48-51.