World apheresis registry 2003-2007 data.

Area of Science:

• Apheresis Medicine
• Clinical Registry Data
• Patient Safety in Medical Procedures

Background:

• The World Apheresis Association (WAA) registry was established to collect data on apheresis procedures globally.
• Fifteen international centers actively contributed data from 2003 to 2007, encompassing 2013 patients and 12,448 procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report initial findings from the WAA apheresis registry, analyzing patient demographics, procedure types, and adverse events.
• To identify factors influencing patient safety and treatment outcomes in apheresis.

Main Methods:

• A web-based registry collected data from participating international centers.
• Data included patient demographics, apheresis indications, blood access methods, anticoagulation (Acid Citrate Dextrose - ACD), replacement fluids, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• Therapeutic apheresis accounted for 67% of procedures, with main indications including neurological, hematological diseases, lipid apheresis, and stem cell collection.
• Adverse events occurred in 5.7% of procedures, predominantly mild to moderate, with blood access issues, hypotension, and urticaria being most frequent. Severe adverse events were rare (0.5%).
• Centers utilizing continuous calcium infusion reported fewer adverse events, suggesting a potential benefit.

Conclusions:

• Apheresis procedures, as captured in the WAA registry, demonstrate a low incidence of severe adverse events.
• Standardization and shared learning from registry data are expected to further enhance apheresis treatment quality.
• Future registry updates will allow for more comprehensive data evaluation and analysis.