Intravenous immunoglobulin use in severe COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Severe COVID-19 often leads to acute respiratory failure and multi-organ dysfunction, requiring ICU admission and resulting in high morbidity and mortality. The intricate dysregulated immune responses and cytokine storm, necessitate effective therapeutic interventions to mitigate adverse outcomes. IVIG therapy, a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory agent, has garnered attention as a potential immunomodulatory treatment. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study of 219 ICU patients (60.7% male; mean age 64±10 years) with confirmed COVID-19 at Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital (March 2020–December 2021), outcomes were compared between those received IVIG (n=69) and didn't receive IVIG (n=150). Demographics, comorbidities, severity scores (SOFA, APACHE), laboratory parameters, acute kidney injury (AKI), and mortality were analyzed. Results: IVIG recipients were younger and had fewer comorbidities (p