The transfusion of blood, from which some components have been removed, back into a patient.
Procedure, similar to dialysis, for cleansing the blood through filters; used experimentally to treat persons with certain disorders.
Therapeutic procedure that separates out one specific type of blood cell, then reinfuses the remaining blood to the patient as a transfusion to remove harmful elements from the blood.
A special type of blood donation in which only certain components of a donor’s blood are collected. Apheresis is performed to collect plasma, platelets, or white blood cells. In contrast with whole blood donation, which takes 6 to 8 minutes, apheresis donation requires approximately 1½ hours. In this procedure, blood is drawn from one arm and passed through an instrument that separates and collects the desired blood components. The remaining components are returned to the donor through the other arm. The body normally replaces the removed blood component within 24 to 48 hours. Because apheresis donors give only part of their blood, they can donate more frequently.
Removal of unwanted or pathological components from a patient’s blood by means of a continuous-flow separator; the process is similar to hemodialysis, as treated blood is returned to the patient. The removal of cellular material is termed cytapheresis; leukapheresis describes the removal of leukocytes only. Plasmapheresis, also called plasma exchange, involves removal of noncellular materials. Therapeutic apheresis has been used to treat blood hyperviscosity, cold agglutinin hemolytic anemia, posttransfusion purpura, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, myasthenia gravis, sickle cell anemia, Guillain-Barre syndrome, familial hypercholesterolemia, and certain drug overdoses.
In the realm of medical procedures, a notable practice takes place, involving the extraction of whole blood from a donor, followed by the separation and collection of a specific component of the blood. Subsequently, the remaining blood components are returned and reinfused back into the patient’s circulation. This procedure, commonly known as apheresis, enables targeted collection of desired blood constituents while ensuring the patient’s blood volume remains stable throughout the process.
Apheresis is a medical procedure that involves withdrawing blood from a donor or patient and subsequently reintroducing it into the bloodstream after specific components have been separated and eliminated. This process allows for the targeted removal of certain substances or cell types. For instance, in plasmapheresis, disease-causing antibodies (proteins produced by the immune system) associated with conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or Goodpasture’s syndrome are extracted. On the other hand, leukapheresis involves the removal of white blood cells, either to decrease their quantity or to collect them for potential use in blood transfusions.