Plasma exchange in France: Epidemiology 2001

The French plasma exchange registry created in 1985 lists the indications, techniques and complications of the French therapeutic haemapheresis. In 2001 it contains the data of more than 16,700 patients for a total of 153,641 sessions. The indications concern five groups of pathologies (neurology, haematology, nephrology, vasculitis, and endocrinology). Until 2000, the neurology represented the most important group but the use of the high dose IgIV for Guillain-Barre and myasthenia gravis decreased the indications. The haematology became most important group treated because of the increase of the TTP and HUS number treated. The endocrinology (familial hypercholesterolemia) represents at present 10% of the patients treated for 18.7% of the sessions. The vascular access little changed since 1985, the peripheral venous access being the most used. The plasma substitution initially based on the albumin alone was gradually replaced by an association albumin macromolecules, in particular hydroxyethylstarch since 1990. After the observation of the side effects due to starches we observed an increase of the albumin alone use. The immediate complications decreased in half in 15 years. The French plasma exchange registry is the largest world database of haemapheresis with the cooperation of about 80 centres, allowing numerous scientific studies.