Plasmapheresis
Since antiquity, mankind has hypothesized there are bad substances called “humors” which accumulate in the blood of sick patients and that the removal of these humors would make patients feel better - Trung C Nguyen MD
image by: Brie Kerschen
HWN Recommends
Plasmapheresis
Having your plasma sucked out of your body, replaced with a foreign fluid and reinfused back into you is clearly a rather invasive process not without its adverse effects. It is therefore engaged upon only in such circumstances where there is no option other than to remove some component of the blood.
There are two main characteristics for a disease process which make plasmapheresis a sensible decision:
- The disease has to be caused by some circulating factor, i.e. it has to be present in the blood
- That factor has to have a sufficiently long plasma half-life, such that "turning off" the process of its production will still result in significant…
Resources
Human Trials of Plasma Exchange
Plasma exchange has a long history for treatment of auto-immune disorders. Some of the diseases of old age are related to autoimmunity (e.g., diabetes, arthritis, chronic inflammation).
Plasma Exchange and Anti-Aging
Plasma exchange, also known as plasmapheresis, is a way to “clean” your blood. New research in mice shows that it can reverse signs of aging and rejuvenates muscle, brain, and liver tissue. But can it treat age-related diseases and improve how we age in humans?
Plasma Exchange Therapy (Plasmapheresis): What Is It and What Can It Help Treat?
Plasmapheresis, or plasma exchange therapy, involves removing the blood's plasma via a blood withdrawal, cleaning it up, and transfusing it back. Similar in many ways to kidney dialysis, therapeutic plasma exchange can be used to treat certain autoimmune conditions by way of fluid replacement.
Plasmapheresis Explained
Apheresis is an umbrella term used to describe the process used to remove blood from the body, filter out elements of it, and retain other elements. Plasmapheresis is a type of apheresis that explicitly targets plasma and separates it from the blood. The separation of blood from elements like plasma, platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells can be accomplished in two ways – centrifugation and filtration.
Plasmapheresis in the practice of autoimmune diseases treatment
Today, plasmapheresis is widely accepted for the treatment of severe myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy. Its effectiveness, however, in other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, is still being studied.
Plasmapheresis – contemporary detoxification method
Treatment by the removal of blood (venesection), which was in use as early as in 3,000 BC is, in fact, is the precursor of plasmapheresis.
Plasmapheresis: Procedure Information & Potential Complications
In plasmapheresis, the plasma is removed from the blood and exchanged for fresh plasma or a plasma substitute. Removing the plasma also removes abnormal antibodies or toxins or other metabolic substances that may be in the blood.
The Role of Plasmapheresis in Critical Illness
Since antiquity, mankind has hypothesized there are bad substances called “humors” which accumulate in the blood of sick patients and that the removal of these humors would make patients feel better. Bloodletting, the practice of draining blood from sick patients, has been around since the Egyptians, dating back one thousand years B.C. The practice of bloodletting peaked in the 18th century and evolves with modern technology to this day.
Urgent plasma exchange: how, where and when
Therapeutic apheresis has undergone a real technological revolution in recent years, with the adoption of procedures targeted at the most selective possible removal of pathological components present in the blood.
Where the technique of Plasmapheresis has been tried
Plasmapheresis, a modern version of bloodletting, has been used to treat at least 50 ailments. Many attempts may prove worthless, but scientists deem further investigations warranted, and a sampling of disorders for which it has been tried follows,,,
Plasmapheresis
The Greek word “ἀφαίρεσις” means “to take away” or “to separate", and crudely that is exactly what the plasmapheresis devices do. It is also a term in linguistics which describes the phonetic loss of a sound, for example the missing "k" in "knife". Plasmapheresis might refer to several possible procedures, depending on which blood components are separated.
American Society for Apheresis
The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) is the premier organization of physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals whose mission is to advance apheresis medicine for patients, donors, and practitioners through education, evidence-based practice, research, and advocacy.
Life in the Fastlane
Plasmapheresis is a subset of apheresis whereby plasma is removed; this is termed ‘plasma exchange’ when host plasma discarded and replaced by donor plasma or an alternative colloid
Plasma exchange Simplified!
Plasma exchange was first used as far back as the 1880s, to treat bacterial and viral infections in animals and people. The first examples came from treating diphtheria produced from immunized animals, though human donors were quickly identified. The first time plasma exchange was used during a pandemic was during the Spanish influenza of 1918, with mixed results.
StatPearls
Plasmapheresis is a therapeutic intervention that involves extracorporeal removal, return, or exchange of blood plasma or components. The underlying mechanism of this procedure is accomplished by either centrifugation or filtration using semipermeable membranes.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.