IVIG-cold or room temp?

    • Anonymous
      November 3, 2010 at 11:53 am

      Just had IVIG yesterday. I get 90 grams in 1 day.

      In the morning it is cold as it has been in lab fridge as the day progresses it warms up.

      My nurse and I were wondering if anyone else has noticed a difference in the temp as far as problems are concerned.

      For us as the day progresses there are more bubbles in the lines and the IV pump stops indicating air in the lines.

      We got to talking and were also wondering if the temp makes a difference when it goes into body and if it can increase the side effects?

      Any thoughts?

      Rhonda from Canada

    • Anonymous
      November 3, 2010 at 2:01 pm

      Rhonda:
      I keep my Gamunex refrigerated, but always bring it out and let it sit for at least an hour at room temperature before infusion. I receive my infusions at home and my infusion nurse never lets me be infused with chilled Gamunex. If I forget to bring it out of the fridge, she will actually warm it in the sink before administering it. There are always some bubbles in the lines. Usually it’s not an issue. You will find that pumps can be sometimes tempermental and will alarm for no apparent reason, which can be a pain. 90 grams in one day is quite a large dose. My nurse tells me that chilled product is harder on the veins.

    • Anonymous
      November 3, 2010 at 2:15 pm

      IVIG should always be infused at room temperature. Cold IVIG can cause more serious side effects.

      Emily’s home care company supplies the IVIG. They pool it into a bag in a sterilized room & then they will refrigerate for the next day & then take it out in the morning while they are packaging up all the supplies needed for each patient.

      If Emily’s infusion is in the morning the nurse has the IVIG pooled that morning so it will not be cold. If, for some reason, the IVIG bag feels cold the nurse or myself will hold the bag against our body to warm it up to room temp.

      Emily’s nurse used to work for Baxter, the company that makes Gammaguard, so I completely trust what she tells me about our IVIG.

      Kelly

    • Anonymous
      November 3, 2010 at 2:22 pm

      Room temp. cold is for preserving the drug only, and makes it thicker. warm is more viscous and closer to the natural body temp. the stuff is sticky enough EH–tim-

    • Anonymous
      November 5, 2010 at 12:26 am

      thanks for the info. I’ll pass it on to nurses.

      Rhonda

    • Dawn Kevies mom
      November 5, 2010 at 10:21 am

      Ok, well, I put the bottles in my bra to warm them!! Sometimes it is a little nippy (ha no pun intended) in the basement, so room temperature still is not optimal.

    • Anonymous
      November 5, 2010 at 12:26 pm

      Dawn,

      Thanks for making me laugh! You are such a good mom! Only a mom would do this! The things moms do for our kids.

      I am going to tell my nurse this and see if she’ll “warm” my IVIG for me. LOL!

      Have a great day!

      Rhonda

    • Anonymous
      November 5, 2010 at 2:48 pm

      [quote=Dawn Kevies mom]Ok, well, I put the bottles in my bra to warm them!! Sometimes it is a little nippy (ha no pun intended) in the basement, so room temperature still is not optimal.[/quote]

      So then the IVIG would be “boob temp”?

    • Anonymous
      November 7, 2010 at 2:55 am

      Room Temp definitley, otherwise it chills you to the bone

    • Anonymous
      November 7, 2010 at 7:36 pm

      Imagine having cold water inserted into your veins, etc? Frosty Blood?
      IF my IG is too cold? I can FEEL IT travelling up the vein thru my whole! So I always have something warm to dring and something warm to cover me.
      You will KNOW when it gets into you when it’s too COLD!
      Read the prescribing info for your brand and it’s there.
      Good luck.