Table 1.
Available initial treatment options for patients with ITP, including splenectomy
| Therapy | Dose | Time to peak response (days) | Response duration (average) | Initial responses (%) | Complete remission (%) | Adverse effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral corticosteroids | 1–4 mg/kg/d | 28 | 2–6 weeks | 66 | 16 | Hypercortisolism: diabetes, infections, osteoporosis |
| Intravenous immunoglobulin | 0.4 g/kg/d × 5 1 g/kg/d × 2 |
2–4 | 3–4 weeks | 75–92 | 50–65 | Headache, lethargy, fever, photophobia |
| Anti-D immunoglobulin | 50 μg/kg/d × 1 | 3 | 3 weeks | 70 | 33 | Mild expected extravascular hemolysis, fever headache, nausea, chills, dizziness |
| Splenectomy | <10 | >7 years | 60–86 | 60 | Surgical complications, sepsis, thrombosis |