What Is SCIg?
Subcutaneous immunoglobulin is a type of immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy that you give as an injection into the layer of fat under your skin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two SCIg medications for CIDP: Hizentra and HyQvia.
To use an infusion pump, you insert a small needle, like you would with a rapid push. This needle is attached to tubing, which goes to your pump. Then, the pump pushes the fluid in for you over about an hour.
Your healthcare team will give you the supplies you need to give yourself SCIg at home. These could include:
- Bags, bottles, or vials of SCIg
- A pole or hook to hold a bag
- Tubing to connect the medication to your pump
- Pump that will give your medication
- Syringes and needles
- Alcohol swabs for cleaning your skin
- Sharps container to throw away your needles safely
Your provider will tell you how often to give yourself an SCIg injection or infusion, but they are typically given once a week to once a month, depending on which kind you take.
Before you start a HyQvia infusion, you will use your pump to infuse an enzyme (hyaluronidase) that makes it easier for your tissues to absorb more fluid: a process called facilitated SCIg. Usually subcutaneous injections are very small — up to 2 milliliters (mL), or about half a teaspoon. But hyaluronidase allows you to get up to 300 mL (1.25 cups) in an hour.
You can give yourself SCIg or you can ask a loved one to do it. If your child needs injections at home, they will need an adult to help.
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