Effect of intravenous gamma globulin on infants with severe pneumonia

Objective: To study the efficiency of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on infants with severe pneumonia. Methods: Fifty-four children with severe pneumonia were administered different therapies. Twenty-six children received large dose of IVIG (1 g·kg-1·d-1) daily in addition to routine treatment for 2 days, while other 28 children in the control group received only routine treatment. Results: Dyspnea was the most common symptom in infants with severe pneumonia. The symptom in the therapy group improved more rapidly than that in the control group. The difference was significant (P<0.001). Conclusions: IVIG can decrease the symptom and increase the cure rate in infants with severe pneumonia.