Profile of immunoglobulin use at a high-complexity university hospital

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the profile of intravenous human immunoglobulin use in adult patients hospitalized at a hIgh-complexity university hospital. Methods: An observational, descriptive, and retrospective study was conducted with 53 adult patients who had a request for intravenous human immunoglobulin during the evaluated period. Sociodemographic, clinical, care-related, and funding variables were analyzed, including ICD-10 diagnosis, medical specialty, length of hospital stay, time to medication access, and funding source. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A similar distribution between sexes was observed, with a slight predominance of females (50.1%), and a high frequency among young adults, particularly those aged 15 to 22 years (24.5%). Requests were mainly related to nervous system diseases and blood and hematopoietic disorders, accounting for more than 90% of indications, predominantly managed by Neurology (58.5%) and Hematology (22.6%). Most patients had associated comorbidities (58.5%), and 48.9% accessed the medication within one day after prescription. Funding was predominantly provided by the Specialized Component of Pharmaceutical Care. Conclusion: Intravenous human immunoglobulin use was largely consistent with national guidelines, highlighting the importance of monitoring and rational management of this high-cost therapy in public hospitals.