title: Apheresis activity in Venezuela.
abstract: Interest for apheresis activity has been growing in Venezuela. In 1976 there were only a few devices; in 2003, 80 apheresis machines performed 27,675 donor apheresis procedures and 547 therapeutic procedures countrywide. We report the activity at the Metropolitan Blood Bank (the largest one of the country) in the period 1999-2003: 597 therapeutic procedures were performed in 171 patients, during 212 crisis episodes. The average age was 38 +/- 16 years, 65% male and 35% female. Most of the therapeutic procedures were therapeutic plasma exchange for hematology diseases (mainly thrombotic thrombocitopenic purpura and hemophilia inhibitors), including 184 therapeutic procedures with the Autopheresis-C (Baxter Healthcare Corp., Deerfield, IL). Most common adverse effects (3.9%) were hypotension and allergic reactions to the plasma.
authors.affiliation: Banco Metropolitano de Sangre (Metropolitan Blood Bank), Caracas, Venezuela. csaltiel@cantv.net
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saltiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011697:Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic / Q000628:therapy*; D014687:Venezuela