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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Third-trimester erythrocytapheresis in pregnant patients with sickle cell disease
S C Gilli1, E V De Paula, F P Biscaro
1Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of prophylactic transfusion by means of erythrocytapheresis at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Methods:
A cohort of 14 pregnant women with SCD who received prophylactic erythrocytapheresis transfusions at the beginning of the third trimester was retrospectively compared with a cohort of 17 pregnant women who received simple prophylactic transfusions for no indication other than SCD severity.
Results:
Prophylactic erythrocytapheresis transfusions were associated with a lower risk of intrauterine growth restriction (OR, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-1.00) and oligohydramnios (OR, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.92) in pregnant women with SCD.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that erythrocytapheresis transfusions are beneficial in women with SCD who are in the third trimester of pregnancy. Given the decrease in transfusion risks, this therapy deserves further evaluation in future trials.
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