Continuous venovenous hemofiltration/hemodiafiltration (CVVH/D) is commonly used to provide renal replacement therapy for critically ill patients who are hemodynamically unstable. Occasionally, the addition of plasmapheresis therapy is necessary for some conditions, including immune-mediated acute renal failure, sepsis, fulminant hepatic failure, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome. Most tertiary care facilities provide centrifugation plasmapheresis instead of membrane plasmapheresis, because of the requirement for both therapeutic plasma exchange and pheresis of cellular blood products. We report a new technique where centrifugation plasmapheresis and CVVHD (P-CVVHD) are combined and used concurrently. Blood from the patient was concurrently filtered utilizing a Hospal BSM 22 machine with a Multiflow 60 hemofilter and a Cobe Spectra continuous cell separator in a parallel configuration. P-CVVHD is technically possible and can be used for long periods of time with limited risks. There may be advantages to P-CVVHD compared with discontinuous combined CVVH/D and plasmapheresis therapy.
Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rHu GM-CSF) enhances bone marrow production of and stimulates granulocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor may be used concomitantly with zidovudine in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients to minimize zidovudine-associated neutropenia. This open-label, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic disposition of rHu GM-CSF in HIV-positive, asymptomatic patients in the absence and presence of concomitant zidovudine administration. Eight participants received rHu GM-CSF (5 micrograms/kg subcutaneously) daily for 4 days in combination with placebo or zidovudine (200 mg orally every 8 hours) in a randomized, crossover fashion, with each study period separated by a 3-day washout phase. Pharmacokinetic blood sampling was performed over 16 hours on days 1 and 4 of both treatment periods, and subsequent analysis of serum was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pharmacokinetic results of rHu GM-CSF at steady state (days 4 of periods I and II) in the absence (placebo) and presence of zidovudine included apparent total body clearance, half-life, and apparent volume of distribution, all of which were not significantly altered with concomitant administration of zidovudine. Mean pharmacokinetic results of rHu GM-CSF after the first dose (days 1 of periods I and II) were similar to steady-state values; however, total body clearance was significantly increased at steady state compared with the results of the first dose. Concurrent administration of zidovudine does not influence the pharmacokinetic disposition of rHu GM-CSF after single or multiple doses.
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