Acute renal failure after administration of intravenous immunoglobulin: review of the literature and case report.

Within in last 7 years the literature has published several reports of acute renal failure after the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin. Review of these cases finds that all occurrences in the United States except one involved a sucrose-containing immunoglobulin preparation, leading to the suspicion that sucrose may be the cause of the renal failure. Further investigation found that approximately 50 years ago, when sucrose was used as an osmotic diuretic, investigators reported acute renal failure in humans after intravenous infusions of 50 g or more. A patient at our institution developed acute renal failure similar to that described in published case reports after being administered a sucrose-containing immunoglobulin.