How much immunoglobulin is needed for a tick bite? - briefly
Immunoglobulin administration is not recommended for a tick bite; treatment relies on antibiotics or disease‑specific vaccines when indicated.
How much immunoglobulin is needed for a tick bite? - in detail
The administration of immunoglobulin after a tick attachment is not a routine prophylactic measure. Clinical guidelines reserve passive immunotherapy for specific scenarios, such as rabies exposure or severe envenomation, where a defined antitoxin product exists. Tick bites typically transmit bacterial pathogens; the standard response involves early antibiotic therapy rather than antibody infusion.
When passive immunization is indicated—for example, in rabies post‑exposure prophylaxis—the recommended dose is calculated on body weight. Human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) is administered at 20 IU per kilogram of the patient’s weight, with a maximum of 2,000 IU. The volume is divided so that half infiltrates the wound site and the remainder is given intramuscularly at a distant site.
Key factors influencing dosage calculation:
- Patient weight (kg)
- Maximum allowable total units (2,000 IU for HRIG)
- Distribution of the dose (local infiltration vs. distal IM injection)
For other tick‑borne infections, no immunoglobulin product has proven efficacy; treatment relies on doxycycline (100 mg twice daily for 10–14 days) or pathogen‑specific antibiotics. Monitoring for allergic reactions, serum sickness, or anaphylaxis is required whenever any immunoglobulin preparation is used.
In summary, passive antibody therapy is limited to rare, well‑defined indications associated with tick bites. The only validated regimen involves weight‑based dosing of HRIG for rabies exposure; no standard immunoglobulin dosage exists for preventing bacterial diseases transmitted by ticks.