Therapeutic plasma exchange: an underutilized therapeutic modality?
Since its clinical availability approximately 25 years ago, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has become recognized as appropriate primary therapy for many diverse medical conditions. In some aspects TPE has been constrained in its use according to schedules of efficacy. Expansion of TPE to other indications is likely once attention is focused on its ability to enable patients to avoid potentially toxic pharmacologic interventions if employed as a chronic therapy, and especially when it is accepted that adjunctive use, not only a curative role, is a valuable use of this therapeutic modality.
Pepkowitz
Samuel H
SH
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rita and Taft Schreiber Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. pepkowitz@cshs.org
Ziman
Alyssa
A
D006801:Humans; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data