Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-center Experience

To examine the clinical characteristics, indications, and complications of patients undergoing therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Patients who underwent therapeutic plasma exchange between January 2018 and January 2020 in the PICU were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients were obtained retrospectively from medical records. A venous catheter was placed into subclavian, femoral, or jugular veins. The number of plasmapheresis sessions for each patient was determined by observing the course of the disease and clinical improvement. Patients were monitored for vital signs during the plasmapheresis process. Complications directly associated with TPE were recorded.

During the 2-year study period, 105 TPE sessions were performed in 25 patients (15 males/10 females). The median age was 84 months (6-204), and the median body weight was 32 kg (8-75). Renal disorders and sepsis were the most common group, and about 48% of patients were in these groups. The most common diagnoses were sepsis with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome in seven patients and followed by hemolytic uremic syndrome (five patients) and Guillain-Barre syndrome (three patients). Nausea (6.7%) and hypocalcemia (6.7%) were the most common complications of patients associated with the procedure. Premature discontinuation of the procedure were not seen due to complications. Complications were treated with symptomatic therapy.

TPE is an effective treatment that can be safely used for pediatric patients with developments in PICUs. Nevertheless, TPE should be performed by experienced staff at a specialized center to minimize the risk of complications.

Özsoylu S, Dursun A, Çelik B. Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-center Experience. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(10):1189-1192.