What is the purpose of plasmapheresis?

What is the purpose of plasmapheresis?

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), also known as plasmapheresis, removes and replaces a patient’s blood plasma to treat certain diseases.

What diseases are treated with plasmapheresis?

Plasmapheresis can be used to treat a variety of autoimmune disorders including:

• myasthenia gravis.
• Guillain-Barre syndrome.
• chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.

What is the difference between plasma exchange and plasmapheresis?

Plasmapheresis refers to a procedure in which the plasma is separated from the blood either by centrifugation or membrane filtration. Once separated the plasma can be manipulated in a variety of ways. Plasma exchange refers to discarding the plasma totally and substituting a replacement fluid.

How long does it take for plasmapheresis to work?

Plasma exchange takes between 2 and 4 hours. A person will need to remain as still as possible to help the blood to flow smoothly. It may help to watch television or read as a distraction.

Is plasmapheresis same as dialysis?

Plasmapheresis is similar to dialysis; however, it removes the plasma portion of the blood where the antibodies are located. Plasma is the almost clear part of the blood which carries red cells, white cells, platelets and other substances through your bloodstream.

What are the side effects of plasmapheresis?

Plasmapheresis is a safe procedure with a few possible side effects. You may have discomfort at the needle site and occasional fatigue, low blood pressure, dizziness, feeling cold and tingling in the fingers and around the mouth. Notify your nurse immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

What are the risks of plasmapheresis?

What are the complications of plasmapheresis?

The adverse side effects observed most frequently during plasma filtration were: fall in arterial blood pressure (8.4% of all procedures), arrhythmias (3.5%), sensations of cold with temporarily elevated temperature and paresthesias (1.1%, each). In most cases the symptoms were mild and transient.

Is plasmapheresis safe for kidneys?

In severe cases, this could cause the kidney transplant to fail. Plasmapheresis before transplant removes antibodies against the donor blood-type from the recipient, so they can’t attack and damage the donated kidney.

How long does plasmapheresis stay in your system?

Patients start feeling their symptoms disappearing after three to five rounds of therapy. For a typical daily or semi-weekly treatment plan, the benefits of plasmapheresis may last up to two months.

What are the most common complications of plasmapheresis?

Results: The most common diseases treated with plasmapheresis included: myasthenia gravis (33.3%), Guillain-Barre syndrome (14%), Lyell’s syndrome (9.3%), systemic lupus erythematosus (7.4%), and thrombotic thromcytopenic purpura (7.4%).

Is plasmapheresis the same as dialysis?