title: Benefit of a 37 degree C extracorporeal circuit in plasma exchange therapy for selected cases with cold agglutinin disease.
abstract: Plasmapheresis is commonly advocated in cold agglutinin disease with life-threatening hemolysis. Some clinicians, however, are reluctant to use this therapy because of perceived technical problems and risks attendant with the temperature of the extracorporeal circulation. In this study we report our experience of two patients with severe life-threatening hemolysis and in whom plasma exchange was not feasible due to red blood cell autoagglutination in the extracorporeal circuit. A method is described involving the use of blood warmers and the Fenwal CS-3000 blood cell separator with its 37 degrees C centrifuge compartment. The use of plasma exchange in this manner is a safe and beneficial form of adjunctive therapy and should be considered for patients with cold agglutinin disease at risk for extracorporeal agglutination or hemolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrzejewski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gault
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silberstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents