title: Plasmapheresis as treatment for hyperlipidemic pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe hypertriglyceridemia with an accumulation of chylomicrons and triglyceride figures >1000 mg/dL can cause acute pancreatitis, a potentially fatal complication. The option of rapid reduction in triglyceride concentrations is attractive and possible with plasmapheresis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present the results of an analysis of 11 patients admitted to the intensive care unit with severe hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis and treated with plasmapheresis. The procedure was repeated until serum triglycerides were below 1000 mg/dL. We recorded anthropometric, clinical data as well as final outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In eight patients a single plasma exchange was sufficient to reduce triglyceride figures <1000 mg/dL. Only three patients died, all with the worst severity indexes and who experienced the longest delay before the procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results, together with a review of the literature, confirm the need for a randomized clinical trial to compare conventional treatment vs. plasmapheresis in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Medicina Interna, Instituto de Biomedicina de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Bueno
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias, Instituto de Biomedicina de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salazar-Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias, Instituto de Biomedicina de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cota-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias, Instituto de Biomedicina de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Spain.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: de la Torre-Prados
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Medicina Interna, Instituto de Biomedicina de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Spain; Departamento de Medicina y Dermatología, Universidad de Malaga, Spain. Electronic address: valdivielso@uma.es.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valdivielso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis; Plasmapheresis; Severe hypertriglyceridemia