title: Aluminium loading during therapeutic plasma exchange.
abstract: Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to demonstrate a fivefold increase in the median plasma aluminium levels of four patients undergoing therapeutic plasmapheresis. This plasma aluminium loading resulted from contamination of albumin incorporated in the replacement fluids and took place during its preparation, with albumin aluminium levels of 646, 669, and 715 micrograms/liter present in three representative samples. Aluminium overload may result in the development of encephalopathy and osteomalacia in patients with renal impairment, indicating the need to monitor aluminium levels in the albumin-containing replacement fluids to avoid this potential hazard.
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000535:Aluminum