Is peripheral access for apheresis procedures underutilized in clinical practice?-A single centre experience

Area of Science:

• Vascular Access
• Apheresis Procedures
• Hematology

Background:

• Literature suggests peripheral venous access is primary for apheresis, but clinical practice varies.
• Central venous access is mandated for critically ill patients or by patient preference.
• Peripheral access is proposed as feasible for most elective apheresis procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and suitability of peripheral vascular access.
• To evaluate peripheral access for diverse apheresis procedures.
• To analyze access methods in both elective and emergency settings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of vascular access device and cannulation site selection.
• Data collected from all apheresis procedures over a two-year period (January 2014 - December 2015).
• Single-institution study.

Main Results:

• 72% of 3714 total apheresis procedures utilized peripheral access.
• Peripheral access rates varied by procedure: 88-97% for hematopoietic progenitor cell harvests, 93% for mononuclear cell harvest, 80% for automated red cell exchange, 26% for therapeutic plasma exchange, and 71% for white blood cell depletion.
• Elective procedures showed higher peripheral access rates, ranging from 80% to 97%.

Conclusions:

• The majority of elective apheresis procedures can be successfully performed using peripheral vascular access.
• Peripheral access is a practical and effective option for numerous apheresis types.
• Findings support increased utilization of peripheral access for elective apheresis.