Surgical hypothermia in a patient with a cold agglutinin. Management by plasma exchange.
Cold agglutinins are a potential danger to patients who must be subjected to hypothermia. A patient with a cold agglutinin of moderate titer but broad thermal amplitude was to undergo hypothermia during aortic valve replacement. He was managed preoperatively with an eight-liter plasma exchange by continuous-flow centrifugation to remove the cold agglutinin. There were no adverse effects during or after hypothermia.
D000373:Agglutinins; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D001323:Autoantibodies; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007048:I Blood-Group System; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000373:Agglutinins; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007048:I Blood-Group System; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens