💧 IVIG Dose Calculator

IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) dosing for neurologic and immunologic indications usually totals 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per course. That total is split across days: the classic schedule is 0.4 g/kg daily for 5 days, and the accelerated schedule is 1 g/kg daily for 2 days. Both deliver the same 2 g/kg; they differ in speed and tolerability.

Enter weight and pick a regimen. The calculator returns the total grams, the per-day grams, and typical infusion-rate guidance. Dosing weight is sometimes adjusted body weight in obesity rather than actual weight, which is one of several reasons the prescriber individualizes the order.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter weight in kilograms. Choose the 5-day or 2-day regimen your prescriber discussed. Read the total course grams and per-day grams. Convert grams to milliliters using your product's concentration (commonly 10%, i.e., 0.1 g/mL), then apply the rate escalation from the product label.

The 2 g/kg Standard

The 2 g/kg total comes from trials in Guillain-Barre syndrome, CIDP, Kawasaki disease, and immune thrombocytopenia, where it became the reference immunomodulatory dose. Splitting it across 5 days at 0.4 g/kg/day was the original schedule; the 2-day 1 g/kg/day schedule proved similarly effective with more infusion reactions, so the choice balances speed against tolerability. Rate escalation starts slow (often 0.5 mL/kg/hr for 10% products) because most reactions are rate-related: headache, flushing, chills, and back pain that ease when the rate drops. Product concentration matters for the mL math: a 10% solution carries 0.1 g per mL, so 28 g is 280 mL.

Worked Example

A 70 kg patient on the classic regimen: 140 g total, or 28 g per day for 5 days. The same total on the 2-day regimen is 70 g per day, which shortens the course but raises the reaction risk, the exact tradeoff prescribers weigh. Infusion typically starts near 0.5 mL/kg/hr, escalate as tolerated and steps up toward 4-6 mL/kg/hr per product label if the patient tolerates it.

Reading the Plan

The total grams are the headline: everything else is scheduling. The 5-day course is gentler and the default for first courses and sensitive patients; the 2-day course suits maintenance dosing in experienced patients. If reactions occur, the standard response is slowing the rate, not abandoning the dose, plus premedication with acetaminophen and antihistamines on subsequent infusions. Renal function, IgA deficiency history, and thrombotic risk all modify real orders, which is why this stays a planning aid.

Infusion Reactions Need a Team

IVIG is given under medical supervision with emergency medications available because anaphylaxis, though rare, happens, and aseptic meningitis and thrombotic events are known risks. Never self-administer or adjust the schedule. Report severe headache with neck stiffness, chest pain, or swelling after infusions promptly. This tool is for informational purposes only, not medical advice. Dosing decisions must be confirmed with your doctor or pharmacist. Consult a healthcare professional.

Related tools: IV flow rate calculator and pediatric maintenance fluids.

For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Dosing decisions must be confirmed with your doctor or pharmacist. Consult a healthcare professional.