title: Plasma exchange: concepts, mechanisms, and an overview of the American Society for Apheresis guidelines.
abstract: Plasma exchange is a therapeutic procedure used to treat a variety of diseases through the bulk removal of plasma. To apply this treatment to patients appropriately, it is essential to understand the methods to remove plasma, its effects on normal plasma constituents, the role of replacement fluids in the treatment, and the risks associated with the procedure. To facilitate the appropriate evidence-based use of plasma exchange and to encourage research, the American Society for Apheresis has published guidelines providing practical guidance and information to those responsible for ordering or providing this treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Transfusion Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. winters.jeffrey@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Winters
mesh_terms: D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States