Effects of high-dose IgG on survival of surgical patients with sepsis scores of 20 or greater
L. Dominioni, R. Dionigi, M. Zanello, M. Chiaranda, R. Dionigi, A. Acquarolo, A. Ballabio and C. Sguotti
Department of Surgery, University of Pavia, Varese, Italy.
Sixty-two consecutive septic surgical patients receiving standard
multimodal intensive care unit treatment who developed a sepsis score of 20
or greater (day 0) were randomized to receive 0.4 g/kg of either
intravenous IgG (29 patients) or human albumin (controls; 33 patients),
repeated on days +1 and +5, in a prospective, double-blind, multicenter
study. The two groups were similar in age, initial sepsis scores, and acute
physiology and chronic health evaluation II score. A significantly lower
mortality was recorded in the IgG-treated group (38%) than in controls
(67%). Septic shock was the cause of death in 7% of IgG-treated patients
and in 33% of controls. The results of this study indicate that high-dose
IgG improves survival and decreases death from septic shock in surgical
patients with a sepsis score of 20 or greater.
