Pediatric therapeutic apheresis: rationale and indications for plasmapheresis, cytapheresis, extracorporeal photopheresis, and LDL apheresis.
Apheresis refers to the removal of a component of the blood and is performed using a group of medical technologies in which peripheral blood is processed by an instrument that separates the various components. The selected component is isolated while the remainder is returned to the patient. The rationale behind therapeutic apheresis is to remove the pathogenic components from the circulation. Apheresis is also used for peripheral hematopoietic progenitor cell collection. The procedure can be safely performed in most children with modifications to account for smaller pediatric blood volumes.
Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Blood Bank-Bader 410, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Yeowon A
YA
Kim
Steven R
SR
Sloan
D002648:Child; D016238:Cytapheresis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017893:Photopheresis / Q000379:methods*; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods*
Apheresis; Extracorporeal photopheresis; Leukapheresis; Pediatric; Plasma exchange; Plasmapheresis; Red cell exchange