TABLE III.

Advantages and disadvantages of intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin

Variable	Intravenous	Subcutaneous
Administration	Once every 3–4 weeks by nurse in hospital	Flexible: weekly dose (or double dose every 2 weeks) administered by patient at home and when travelling
Efficacy	Reduces frequency and severity of serious bacterial infections equally
Venous access required?	Yes	No
Nursing required?	Yes, to administer in medical facility	Yes, for initial training of patient
Systemic AEsa	More common	Infrequent
Local AEs	Infrequent	Expected and mild
Training required?	No special skills required by patient or family	Requires training of patient or family, good dexterity, good vision, capacity to learn new technique
Costs	Patient: Loss of work, travel, parking	Saves patient: approximately $1000–$1500 annually
	Hospital: Nursing hours, equipment	Saves government: approximately $2000–$2600 annually

^aFor example, anaphylactoid reaction.

AE = adverse event.