PURPOSE: @entity2718 @entity294 is common in elderly @entity1 and leads to prolonged hospitalization. @entity1 with severe or recurrent @entity2718 @entity294 have poor antitoxin antibody responses. Intravenous immunoglobulin has been advocated in these @entity1 . This study was designed to assess the response of @entity1 with refractory, recurrent, or severe @entity2718 @entity294 to intravenous immunoglobulin. METHODS: Retrospective review (November 2003-January 2005) of 14 @entity1 with severe, refractory, recurrent @entity2718 @entity294 treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (Flebogamma, 150-400 mg/kg) from 264 @entity2718 toxin-positive @entity1 . RESULTS: Median age was 79 (range, 54-91) years. Median length of symptoms before intravenous immunoglobulin was 29 (range, 3-90) days. @entity1 received a median of three (range, 1-5) courses of @entity2176 or @entity868 before intravenous immunoglobulin. All had @entity4988 (median, 22 g/l; range, 18-33) and raised @entity1851 (median, 47 mg/l; range, 25-255) at time of infusion. The median white cell count was 15.3 x 10(9)/liters (range, 4-24). Eight @entity1 had evidence of pancolitis on abdominal imaging, suggesting severe @entity2718 @entity294 . All @entity1 tolerated intravenous immunoglobulin without side effects. Nine (64 percent) responded with bowels normalizing in a median of ten (range, 2-26) days; one @entity1 received two doses. One @entity1 had a partial response from two doses but died two months later after a recurrence. The other four @entity1 died of other causes within three weeks of infusion. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous immunoglobulin may be effective for severe, refractory, or recurrent @entity2718 @entity294 after failed conventional treatment.

Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of severe, refractory, and recurrent XXXX @entity294 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity2176 :: ('MESH:D014640', 'Chemical') :: ['vancomycin'] @entity868 :: ('MESH:D008795', 'Chemical') :: ['metronidazole'] @entity4988 :: ('MESH:D034141', 'Disease') :: ['hypoalbuminemia'] @entity294 :: ('MESH:D003967', 'Disease') :: ['diarrhea'] @entity2718 :: ('1496', 'Species') :: ['Clostridium difficile'] @entity1851 :: ('1401', 'Gene') :: ['C-reactive protein']
@entity2718 :: (1496,Species) :: ['Clostridium difficile']
