Plasmapheresis as part of the treatment for septic shock

Plasmapheresis is one of the methods which has been tried in the effort to influence the course of severe sepsis with septic shock and to improve survival rates. This is a retrospective study of 17 consecutive patients with septic shock who were treated with acute plasmapheresis. Nine out of 16 patients with verified etiology suffered from infections with Gram-positive bacteria. Three (18%) of the treated patients died. The estimated mortality rate based on the patients' initial APACHE II scores was 62%. No serious side-effects of treatment were observed. This study indicates that plasmapheresis is a safe treatment for patients with septic shock and has a positive effect on survival. Prospective, randomized studies would be valuable to determine the role of plasmapheresis in the management of patients with septic shock.