The use of IVIg in the treatment of inflammatory polyneuropathies and myasthenia gravis at The Walton Centre


Background Immunoglobulin is a blood product used in a variety of medical disorders, usually delivered intravenously (IVIg). Neurology patients, particularly those with inflammatory polyneuropathy, utilise a lot of IVIg.  There is a national shortage of immunoglobulin and, thus, pressing need to ensure minimum effective dosing as well as rigorous outcome assessments to assess benefit at treatment start and subsequently, as placebo effects can be strong.

Respiratory infection and primary immune deficiency – what does the general physician need to know?

This review, based on a talk given at the RCPE Respiratory Medicine Symposium 2014, outlines the clinical spectrum of immune deficiency – antibody (B cell) deficiency, T cell defects and innate/phagocytic disorders – and discusses the relevant clinical presentations, investigations and treatments, focusing particularly on the management of adults with recurrent respiratory infections. It describes when to suspect a primary immunodeficiency, the first-line investigations to perform and the triggers that should prompt referral for further specialist opinion. The paper