Renal and hematologic side effects of long-term intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with neurologic disorders.

Introduction: For patients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), renal and hemolytic side effects are well recognized. However, there are very few data on the effects of chronic IVIg therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed laboratory data on 166 patients who received IVIg for 12 months with a dose range of 0.

Clinical recognition and management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the nurse's role.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, causes a progressive wasting and loss of the upper and lower motor neurons that facilitate the movement of body parts. At onset, ALS patients may show symptoms such as muscle weakness, atrophy, hyperreflexia, or bulbar symptoms such as dysphagia or dysarthria. Deterioration progresses rapidly, and the later stages of ALS are characterized by severely limited mobility and respiratory failure, which is the primary cause of death.