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Red cell exchange using cell separator (therapeutic erythrocytapheresis) in two children with acute severe malaria
A Deshpande1, S Kalgutkar, S Udani
1Department of Transfusion Medicine, PD Hinduja National Hospital, Mahim, Mumbai-400 016.
Insights
Therapeutic erythrocytapheresis, a red cell exchange method, successfully treated two children with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. This method, combined with antimalarial drugs, offers a promising approach for severe malaria cases.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Severe malaria, particularly Plasmodium falciparum, presents a significant global health challenge.
- High parasitemia rates in severe malaria can lead to critical complications and mortality.
- Therapeutic erythrocytapheresis (red cell exchange) is an established procedure for various clinical conditions.
Observation:
- Two pediatric patients presented with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
- Parasitemia levels were critically high at 75% and 67% in the respective patients.
- Standard antimalarial treatment was initiated for both cases.
Findings:
- Erythrocytapheresis was performed as an adjunct therapy in both children.
- Both patients showed successful clinical outcomes following the combined treatment regimen.
- The intervention effectively reduced the high parasite burden.
Implications:
- Therapeutic erythrocytapheresis can be a valuable treatment option for severe malaria with high parasitemia.
- This approach may improve patient outcomes and reduce mortality in critical malaria cases.
- Further research into the role of red cell exchange in malaria management is warranted.
Abstract:
Red cell exchange using a cell separator (therapeutic erythrocytapheresis) has been used successfully in a large number of clinical conditions including acute severe cases of malaria. We report two children suffering from severe malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) with infestation rates of 75% and 67% respectively. They were treated successfully with erythrocytapheresis in combination with antimalarial treatment.
