Bovine blood and neuromuscular paralysis as a bridge to recovery in a patient with severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
Hemoglobin solutions have several advantages as substitutes for erythrocyte transfusions. They have a prolonged shelf life, do not require cross-matching, are associated with few transfusion reactions, and are effective in delivering oxygen to the tissues. Despite the potential clinical utility of these solutions, they have not achieved widespread use. HbOC-201 (Hemopure, Biopure, Cambridge, MA, USA) is a bovine hemoglobin solution that has been FDA approved for compassionate use in Jehovah's witness patients requiring transfusions. Here we report a case of a patient with hemoglobin H disease who developed a severe life-threatening mixed warm and cold antibody mediated autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who was successfully treated with HbOC-201 as an adjunct to blood transfusion.
Pachinburavan
Monvasi
M
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. paul.marik@jefferson.edu <paul.marik@jefferson.edu>
Marik
Paul E
PE
D000328:Adult; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D057176:Compassionate Use Trials; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D033221:Jehovah's Witnesses; D008297:Male; D019148:Neuromuscular Blockade / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
D006454:Hemoglobins; C096798:HBOC 201