Massive bee envenomation treated by therapeutic plasma exchange.

In the unfortunate event of massive envenomation and precipitation of multiorgan failure, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can be considered as a modality for therapy. We present a patient case where TPE potentially allowed for removal of toxin with subsequent clinical improvement.

Preoperative autologous platelet pheresis reduces allogeneic platelet use and improves the postoperative PaO2/FiO2 ratio in complex aortic surgery: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES: An autologous platelet-rich plasma pheresis (aPP) strategy can harvest partial whole blood that is separated into erythrocytes, plasma and platelets, and can reduce blood loss and transfusion during cardiovascular surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, the blood and organ conservation effects of this technique have not been confirmed in the context of complex aortic surgery. METHODS: Perioperative records of 147 adult patients who underwent complex aortic surgery were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: All patients received regular blood conservation treatment, and 57 patients received aPP. Whether or not the participants were propensity matched, decreased platelet and cryoprecipitate transfusions were found in the aPP group (both P < 0.001), but there were non-significant differences in erythrocyte transfusion, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores and other outcomes when compared with the same parameters in the non-aPP group. The aPP group had a higher arterial oxygen partial pressure to inhaled oxygen concentration ratio on postoperative days 1, 2 and 7 than the non-aPP group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P = 0.048, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of aPP was associated with a reduction in allogeneic platelet and cryoprecipitate transfusions as well as minor lung-protective effects during complex aortic surgery using CPB.

Acute bilateral cerebral infarction in the presence of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: A case report.

RATIONALE: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) are inflammatory demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system; they are characterized by severe optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. Intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) therapy is an effective treatment that is administered to patients in the acute phase of NMOSD; this therapy has achieved remarkable results in clinical practice. However, there are no reports on NMOSD patients who have experienced an acute bilateral cerebral infarction while undergoing IVMP treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report on a 62-yr-old woman who was undergoing IVMP therapy for the primary diagnosis of NMOSD. Unexpectedly, the patient's existing limb weakness worsened, and she developed motor aphasia on the second day of IVMP treatment. Additionally, brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed acute bilateral cerebral infarction. DIAGNOSIS: The patient's clinical manifestations, medical imaging results, and laboratory test results were taken into consideration; the final diagnosis was acute bilateral cerebral infarction in the presence of NMOSD. INTERVENTIONS: Subsequent to the onset of acute cerebral infarction, the patient was immediately treated with oral aspirin, atorvastatin, and intravenous butylphthalide. The hormone dose was adjusted to an oral 60-mg/d dose for maintenance; this was followed by immunoadsorption plasmapheresis for 3 days, and double-filtration plasmapheresis for 2 days. OUTCOMES: Following treatment onset, the patient's ocular symptoms significantly improved, and her limb muscle strength gradually recovered. Two months after discharge, the patient's husband reported that she was able to walk with the help of others and take care of herself, and that there was no recurrence. LESSONS: Medical professionals must be aware of the possibility of NMOSD patients with cerebrovascular risk factors suffering an acute cerebral infarction while undergoing high-dose IVMP therapy, as this therapy can exacerbate existing problems.

Double filtration plasmapheresis - 10-year pediatric experience as an alternative to plasma exchange.

BACKGROUND: Double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is more selective at removing antibodies compared to plasma exchange (PE), thus reducing the need for replacement blood products. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of all pediatric patients whom DFPP had been performed. RESULTS: In total, 30 patients were treated with DFPP. Data were available for 436 sessions in 23 patients. Patients had a median of 6 (1-161) sessions. Age at start of treatment was 13.9 years (2.2-19.2) and weight 46 kg (13.4-82.8). Six patients were treated for antibody mediated rejection; 1 had full recovery, 1 CKD stage 4 and 4 required dialysis. Two patients were treated for recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) with good response. One successfully had an ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation. Five had anti-glomerular basement membrane disease; 3 had complete recovery, 1 CKD and 1 required transplantation. Three had granulomatosis with polyangiitis; 1 with full recovery, 1 had CKD and 1 required dialysis. Two had Type-2 Membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis, 1 successfully treated, the other needing dialysis. One treated for rapidly progressive MPO-glomerulonephritis required dialysis. Other indications were Myasthenia Gravis, Guillain-Barré disease and autoimmune limbic encephalitis. Excluding FSGS patients (with >100 sessions), one patient had cryoprecipitate, 2 had blood transfusions, no other blood products were required. Minor complications were seen in 13 sessions (8.4%). No major complications were seen. CONCLUSION: DFPP is a safe, well tolerated form of apheresis that appears to have comparable outcomes to that of PE, without the routine need of replacement blood products.

Fructus Psoraleae-Induced Severe Liver Injury and Treatment With Two Artificial Liver Support Systems: A Case Series Study.

To describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients with suspected Fructus Psoraleae (FP)-induced severe liver injury who underwent treatment with two artificial liver support systems (ALSSs). The cases of 12 patients with severe liver injury by FP were enrolled. We evaluated the tolerability of, and changes in biochemical parameters after treatment with plasma exchange combined with hemofiltration and double plasma molecular absorption system, and 6-month follow-up information were collected. The median age of the 12 patients was 60 years and nine (75%) patients were females. All patients had jaundice as the initial symptom. Two ALSS types were used to treat the patients. The group that underwent plasma exchange combined with hemofiltration showed remarkable improvements in ALT, AST, total bilirubin (TB), GGT and international normalized ratio levels (AST, TB, international normalized ratio, P < 0.01; ALT, GGT, P < 0.05), and the levels of AST, ALP, TB, and total bile acid decreased significantly in the double plasma molecular absorption system group after treatment (TB, P < 0.01; AST, ALP, total bile acid P < 0.05). During 6 months of follow-up, two patients died, two became chronic, and eight recovered to normal. FP can cause clinically severe liver injury, characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and jaundice, which can lead to death or become chronic. Both ALSSs were safe and well tolerated in drug-induced liver injury patients. After ALSS treatment, the levels of biochemical indicators of liver function improved significantly, indicating that ALSS might be beneficial for patients with severe drug-induced liver injury.

Effects of platelet-rich plasmapheresis during cardiovascular surgery: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effects of platelet-rich plasmapheresis (PRP) on the amount of postoperative blood loss and the requirements for allogeneic fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and red blood cell (RBC) transfusions during cardiovascular surgery. METHODS: A literature search of 7 online databases was conducted. Randomized control trials (RCT) comparing intraoperative PRP or appropriate control groups were considered suitable for this current study. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs enrolling a total of 1002 patients, including 501 patients who received PRP and 501 control patients. Meta-analysis of the data from these trials showed that PRP reduced the total volume of postoperative blood loss (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.18 to -0.31; P < 0.05), reduced postoperative fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion (SMD, -0.38; 95%CI, -0.69 to -0.08; P < 0.05), reduced postoperative RBCs transfusion (SMD, -0.44; 95%CI, -0.77 to -0.10; P < 0.05), and reduced the proportion of patients receiving postoperative allogeneic RBC transfusions (relative risk [RR], 0.44; 95%CI, 0.21-0.91, P < 0.05) during cardiovascular surgery. CONCLUSION: Conducting PRP before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and transfusing autologous platelet-rich plasma (aPRP) after reversal of heparin could reduce postoperative blood loss, the requirements for blood products transfusion during cardiovascular surgery. A higher mean platelet count in aPRP may improve the final outcome. However, there was a high degree of undetermined heterogeneity among the analyzed trials, and larger and more precise RCTs are needed to confirm these conclusions.

Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia with thrombocytopenia induced by vitamin B12 deficiency long term after gastrectomy.

Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia with thrombocytopenia, called pseudo-thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), is a clinically important complication in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency. We herein present a case of an 80-year-old woman with pseudo-TMA after gastrectomy. She was initially suspected with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura based on rapid progression of anaemia with schistocytes and thrombocytopenia; however, her anaemia and thrombocytopenia were improved by vitamin B12 supplementation alone, with a single session of plasma exchange. Vitamin B12 deficiency was finally confirmed by low vitamin B12 levels from the patient's initial blood sample. In addition, normal ADAMTS13 activity was proven, lowering the likelihood of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Therefore, this patient was diagnosed with pseudo-TMA caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Pseudo-TMA can occur in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency post-gastrectomy.

Acute Liver Failure due to Amanita phalloides Poisoning: Therapeutic Approach and Outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Amanita phalloides poisoning is a potentially fatal cause of acute liver failure. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of initial patients' characteristics and different treatment modalities on the outcome of patients with liver failure caused by Amanita poisoning. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 23 patients admitted to our center between July 2007 and August 2016. RESULTS: Mean time interval between Amanita phalloides ingestion and the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms was 12.48 ± 9.88 hours and the interval between ingestion and hospital admission 26.26 ± 15.14 hours. The treatment was intiated by oral decontamination using activated charcoal followed by intravenous rehydration and high doses of intravenous N-acetylcysteine and silibinin. Fourteen patients (61%) underwent extracorporeal elimination method. Ten patients had plasmapheresis, 1 patient had hemoperfusion, and 5 patients had fractionated plasma separation and adsorption. Seven patients who met King's College Criteria were listed for urgent liver transplantation; one of them died before transplantation. Six patients underwent liver transplantation; the mean waiting time was 6.5 ± 12.0 days (range, 1-31 days). One patient died 2 months afterward. All 16 patients who did not meet King's College Criteria and received conservative treatment survived. CONCLUSION: Our results documented a good prognostic value of standard King's College Criteria for indication of urgent liver transplantation in acute liver failure caused by Amanita phalloides poisoning. Fractionated plasma separation and adsorption may contribute to low mortality on the waiting list. Intensive care and extracorporeal elimination methods seem to be crucial points of the conservative treatment.

Pro: High dose of therapeutic plasma exchange-mind the gap!

'Mind the gap' is a recorded warning phrase used in the London Tube since 1969. The following article is meant to be a warning of an increasing knowing-doing gap in routine practice of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), a treatment method that is used more and more throughout the world. The American Society of Apheresis recommendations, including the most recent ones from 2016, suggest using a TPE volume of 1.0-1.5 times the actual calculated plasma volume of the patient. There are only a few exceptions to that rule, such as the recommnded exchange volume in vasculitis or mushroom poisoning. The published literature suggests that in routine clinical practice in many institutions in several countries the exchanged volume might in fact be lower than recommended by the guidelines. In the following article we argue for a high dose of exchanged plasma volume, yet sketch different scenarios on how this time-averaged high dose can be delivered in various ways depending on the underlying disease, refuting a one-size-fits-all strategy that might facilitate the procedure but may result in 'underpheresis' in many patients. Further, the objectives underlying the use of smaller exchange volumes, especially the gap between the cost of blood products and the reimbursement of TPE are discussed. Lastly, the knowing-guiding gap is described, which can only be overcome by collecting high-quality data and conducting prospective clinical trials in the field of TPE.

Personalized treatment with immunoadsorption and intravenous immunoglobulin in a case of severe Rh alloimmunization during pregnancy unresponsive to plasma - exchange.

INTRODUCTION: Despite prophylaxis, a small proportion of RhD-negative women may develop anti-D antibodies after a sensitizing event occurring during pregnancy or delivery of a D-positive baby. Intrauterine transfusion (IUT) is the treatment of choice in case of fetal anemia, but it cannot be performed early during pregnancy. Combined treatment with therapeutic plasma-exchange (TPE) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) can avoid or delay IUT. Immunoadsorption (IA) could represent a more effective treatment in selected cases. CASE REPORT: We report a D-negative female with a history of induced abortion and hydrops fetalis, referred at 8 weeks of gestation with a high anti-D titer. Despite implementing a TPE-IVIG protocol, the patient experienced a spontaneous abortion. At the beginning of her fourth pregnancy, only after a partially effective intensive TPE course, cycles of IA-IVIG were performed. Despite a suboptimal response on the anti-D titer, Doppler ultrasonographic measurements of the fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity first showed evidence of anemia at 30 weeks of gestation and a IUT was required. After the IUT, anemia persisted with a subsequent dramatic rise in titer, requiring an emergent cesarean section. The infant subsequently underwent successful treatment with IVIG, phototherapy and exchange transfusion and was discharged 7 weeks later without neurological deficits. DISCUSSION: The treatment of high titer anti-D antibodies during pregnancy may require a multidisciplinary approach with utilization of different apheresis strategies in order to have a successful pregnancy outcome.

Plasmapheresis, Intravenous Immunoglobulins, and Autologous Serum Eyedrops in the Acute Eye Complications of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

PURPOSE: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, life-threatening, drug-induced, mucocutaneous disease, which can severely affect the ocular surface. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of plasmapheresis, human IV immunoglobulins (IVIg), and autologous serum (AS) eyedrops in the treatment of the severe acute ocular complications of TEN. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients admitted to the Burn Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria-Sassari, Sassari, Italy, from 2009 to 2015, identified 9 patients (2 men, 7 women; mean age 63.8 ± 24.7 years) with TEN. Bilateral, acute ocular surface complications were observed in 7 (78%) patients; 3 showed catarrhal conjunctivitis, whereas 4 had severe pseudomembranous conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers. RESULTS: All patients with TEN were immediately treated with plasmapheresis and human IVIg, which produced a marked improvement in the patients' general condition. In the 3 with catarrhal conjunctivitis, preservative-free artificial tears and topical antibiotics were beneficial. In the 4 with severe pseudomembranous conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers, treatment with AS eyedrops resulted in corneal and conjunctival epithelium healing over 3-6 weeks. After a minimum follow-up of at least 12 months, there were minimal/mild residual signs and symptoms of dry eye. CONCLUSIONS: Plasmapheresis and IVIg may be life-saving and contribute to reduce ocular surface inflammation in TEN. Autologous serum eyedrops, prepared after plasmapheresis completion and IVIg infusion, may be helpful in the management of the severe acute ocular complications of TEN.

[Reducing viral load in life-threatening viral diseases using snowdrops]. / Schneeglöckchen zur Senkung der Viruslast bei lebensbedrohlichen Viruserkrankungen.

In the case of life-threatening viral diseases, viral load is associated with mortality. A new and innovative therapeutic approach is the reduction of viral load by extracorporeal elimination without simultaneously weakening the immune system by removing specific antibodies. Basis of this therapy is a modified plasma filter coated with a lectin derived from the snowdrop.

Eficacia y seguridad de rituximab para el tratamiento de pacientes menores de 18 años con encefalitis autoinmune refractario al tratamiento de primera línea (inmunoglobulina, pulsos corticoides y plasmaféresis) / Efficacy and safety of rituximab for the treatment of patients younger than 18 years with autoimmune encephalitis refractory to first-line therapy (immunoglobulin, corticoid pulses and plasmapheresis)

INTRODUCCIÓN: Antecedentes: El presente dictamen expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad del medicamento rituximab para el tratamiento de pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de encefalitis autoinmune refractarios a la inmunoterapia de primera línea. Aspectos Generales: La Encefalitis se refiere a un trastorno inflamatorio del cerebro que resulta en un estado mental alterado, convulciones, o problemas en el funcionamento del cerebro. Es de progresión rápida (menos de 6 semanas) y su incidencia estimada en paises industrializados de occidente (Finlandia, EEUU, Jutlandia, Inglaterra, Francia, Grecia, Canadá, Eslovenia) es de 6.3 a 7.4 casos por 100,000 habitantes (adultos y niños) por año y aproximadamente 10.5 a 13.8 casos por 100,000 niños por ano. Las causas de encefalitis mayormente reconocidas son las de origen infeccioso; no obstante, recientemente se ha descubierto que un 4% de las encefalitis son el resultado de la producción de anticuerpos que atacan los receptores neuronales y proteínas de superfície de las células involucradas en la transmisión sináptica, plasticidad, o excitabilidad neuronal. Tecnología Sanitaria de Interés: Rituximab: Rituximab es un anticuerpo monoclonal quimérico murino/humano que se une al antígeno CD20 localizado en la superficie de los linfocitos pre-B y B maduros. Este antígeno se encuentra tanto en células B normales como malignas. Tras la unión a CD20, rituximab destruye las células B. Los posibles mecanismos de lisis celular incluyen la citotoxidad dependiente del complemento (CDC) y la citotoxidad mediada por células dependientes de anticuerpos (ADCC); debido a ello es usado para el tratamiento de sídromes linfoproliferativoscrónicos de estirpe B, en enfermedades autoinmunes y en otras entidades donde hay proliferación de linfocitos B. METODOLOGÍA: Estrategia de Búsqueda: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la evidencia, especialmente la proveniente de ensayos clínicos, con respecto a la eficacia y seguridad de rituximab en pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de encefalitis autoinmune en las bases de datos MEDLINE, TRIPDATABASE, ScienceDirect y LILACS. Una vez identificados los artículos que respondían a la pregunta PICO, se pasó a revisar la bibliografia incluida en dichos artículos seleccionados, con la finalidad de identificar evidencia adicional. Asimismo, se realizó una búsqueda dentro de bases de datos pertenecientes a grupos que realizan revisiones sistemáticas, evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias y guías de práctica clínica, tales como The National Guideline for Clearinghouse (NGC), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHQR) y The Cochrane Collaboration. Se hizo una búsqueda adicional en www.clinicaltrials.gov, para poder identificar ensayos clínicos en curso o que no hayan sido publicados. RESULTADOS: Sinopsis de la Evidencia: Se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura con respecto a a eficacia y seguridad de rituximab, en comparación a la terapia de primera línea (inmunoglobulina intravenosa, pulsos de corticoides y plasmaféresis) o placebo, como tratamiento de segunda línea en pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de encefalitis autonmune refractarios a la inmunoterapia de primera línea.No se encontratón ensayos clínicos aleatorizados por lo que se incluyeron resultados de estudios observacionlaes y series de casos que aportaran información relevante. CONCLUSIONES: A la fecha, no existe evidencia suficiente sobre la eficacia científica de rituximab, con respecto a la inmunoterapia de primera línea (corticoesteroides, inmunoglobulina intravenosa y plasmaféresis) o placebo, en pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de encefalitis autoinmune refractarioa a la inmunoterapia de primera línea en términos de mayor calidad de vida y disminución de secuelas neurológicas. No se encontraron ensayos clínicos que hayan evaluado el uso de rituximab en la población de la presente evaluación de tecnologia sanitaria. La GPC clínica encontrada para el tratamiento de este tipo de pacientes no incluyen a rituximab dentro de sus recomendaciones. Del mismo modo, la única revisión sistemática identificada concluye que existe un aparente beneficio en el uso de la inmunoterapia de segunda línea con respecto al no uso de esta, pero que estos resultados se ven afectados por sesgos de selección y de reporte. El Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI) aprueba el uso de rituximab como alternativa de tratamiento para pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de encefalitis autoinmune refractarios a la inmunoterapia de primera línea. El periodo de vigencia de este dictamen es de un año y la continuación de dicha aprobación estará sujeta a los resultados obtenidos de los pacientes que se beneficien con dicho tratamiento y a nueva evidencia que pueda surgir en el tiempo.

Conventional and Unconventional Lifesaving Therapies in an Adolescent With Amlodipine Ingestion.

Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, is commonly prescribed for the treatment of hypertension. Ingestion of an overdose leads to severe hypotension; if the hypotension is not treated, death may be imminent. Conventional and unconventional interventions were used to treat an adolescent who ingested a life-threatening dose of amlodipine. Severe hypotension resistant to conventional treatment with intralipids and hyperinsulinemia-euglycemia therapy led to the use of plasmapheresis and a pneumatic antishock garment as lifesaving measures. Plasmapheresis has been described in only one other case of severe amlodipine overdose, and the use of a pneumatic antishock garment has never been described in the management of a calcium channel blocker overdose. Because short-term use of a pneumatic antishock garment has associated risks, the critical care nurse's anticipation of side effects and promotion of safe use of the garment were instrumental in the patient's care and outcome. (Critical Care Nurse 2016; 36[4]:64-69).

Long-Term Follow-Up of a Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemic Patient Receiving Regular Double Filtration Plasmapheresis - Case Report and Literature Review.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a very rare condition (1 case per 1 million people) with a dismal outcome due to inevitable coronary artery disease that occurs when left untreated. Lipoprotein apheresis (LA), previously known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis, is very effective in reducing LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) if HoFH is refractory to aggressive drug therapy and diet control. In this study, we report a case with HoFH, who presented with xanthomata over the 4 limbs when she was 3 years old. When she was 11 years old, she began treatment with semi-selective LA with double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) once per week because HoFH was refractory to high-dose statin and diet control. LDL-C was reduced from 8.2 ± 0.9 to 2.69 ± 0.75 mmol/l (reduction rate = 67.3 ± 6.1%). The xanthomata over the 4 limbs were nearly completely resolved after 2 years of DFPP. Two years later, after the initiation of DFPP, we performed coronary angiography and echocardiography for regular checkup in the absence of chest pain, and the result was negative. To date (11 years after initiation of DFPP), she has not complained of any chest pain, shown intolerance to exercise, or exhibited ST-T change on electrocardiography. At the age of 20, multidetector computed tomography showed no significant stenosis over the coronary arteries. At the most recent follow-up visit, she was found to have good heart function and no xanthomata. LA is effective in the treatment of HoFH when drug therapy and diet control fail. With this treatment, pre-existing xanthomata can regress and coronary artery disease can be prevented.

Recovery of thalamic microstructural damage after Shiga toxin 2-associated hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The underlying pathophysiology of neurological complications in patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) remains unclear. It was recently attributed to a direct cytotoxic effect of Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) in the thalamus. Conventional MRI of patients with Stx2-caused HUS revealed - despite severe neurological symptoms - only mild alterations if any, mostly in the thalamus. Against this background, we questioned: Does diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) capture the thalamic damage better than conventional MRI? Are neurological symptoms and disease course better reflected by thalamic alterations as detected by DTI? Are other brain regions also affected? METHODS: Three women with serious neurological deficits due to Stx2-associated HUS were admitted to MRI/DTI at disease onset. Two of them were longitudinally examined. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity were computed to assess Stx2-caused microstructural damage. RESULTS: Compared to 90 healthy women, all three patients had significantly reduced thalamic FA. Thalamic mean diffusivity was only reduced in two patients. DTI of the longitudinally examined women demonstrated slow normalization of thalamic FA, which was paralleled by clinical improvement. CONCLUSION: Whereas conventional MRI only shows slight alterations based on subjective evaluation, DTI permits quantitative, objective, and longitudinal assessment of cytotoxic cerebral damage in individual patients.

Successful treatment of severe rhesus D-incompatible pregnancy with repeated double-filtration plasmapheresis.

Fetal anemia is caused by Rhesus (RhD) sensitization as a result of RhD incompatibility during pregnancy. The severe form of this disease can cause hydrops fetalis leading to intrauterine death. We experienced a highly sensitized 39-year-old woman with B Rh-negative blood. She had a history of three induced abortions and experienced perinatal death associated with hydrops fetalis. During the pregnancy prior to her most recent one, she was treated with double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP), high dose γ-globulin and intrauterine fetal blood transfusion (IUT). For her most recent pregnancy, we performed only weekly or fortnightly DFPP from 13 weeks until delivery. Anti-D antibody titer was maintained between 32 and 256 without any signs of fetal anemia. IUT was not required at any stage of the pregnancy. No adverse events were observed. She successfully delivered a healthy male infant weighing 2,289 g by Cesarean section at 35 weeks. Repeated DFPP may be an effective and safe strategy to reduce antibody titers in highly sensitized women with RhD-incompatible pregnancy, avoiding the need for IUT.

Frequent use of blood-saving measures in elective orthopaedic surgery: a 2012 Dutch blood management survey.

BACKGROUND: Blood loss in hip and knee arthroplasties may necessitate allogeneic blood transfusions. Different blood-saving measures (BSMs) were introduced to reduce these transfusions. Purpose of the present study was to assess the frequency of BSM use, stratified by type and hospital setting of orthopaedic departments in the Netherlands. METHODS: An internet-based questionnaire was sent to all heads of orthopaedic departments of Dutch hospitals and private clinics (n = 99). Questions were asked on how often BSMs were used, reported on a 5-point Likert scale (never, almost never, regularly, almost always, always). In addition there were questions about discontinuation of anticoagulants preoperatively, the number of annually performed arthroplasties (size) and hospital setting. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 81 (82%) departments. BSMs used frequently (regularly, almost always, always) were erythropoietine (EPO), with 55 (68%) departments being frequent users; acute normovolemic hemodilution, used frequently in 26 (32%) departments; cell saver in 25 (31%) and postoperative drainage and re-infusion in 56 (69%) departments. When compared by size, frequent EPO use was more common in large departments (with 22 (88%) large departments being frequent users versus 13 (63%) small departments and 16 (55%) intermediate departments, p = 0.03). No differences by size or type were observed for other BSMs. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with previous survey's there is a tremendous increase in use of BSMs. EPO and autologous blood salvage techniques are the most often used modalities. Costs might be saved if use of non-cost-effective BSMs is stopped.