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Low-dose filgrastim significantly reduces neutrophil engraftment time post-PBSCT and also reduces in-patient stay and costs, which makes it economically viable for patients who are undergoing high-dose chemotherapy.

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Further decreases in surgical RBC use may be achievable but the aging population is likely to demand more blood for nonsurgical indications and efforts should be directed to optimizing use in these recipients. Comparative data on transfusion rates between regions or countries may be a useful tool for improving blood use.

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Application of power electronics in electric drives enables utilisation of ac machines with a phase number higher than three. Such multi-phase motor drives are nowadays considered for various applications. Multi-phase drives are invariably supplied from multi-phase voltage source inverters (VSIs) and adequate methods for VSI pulse width modulation (PWM) are therefore required. This paper deals with carrierbased PWM, where harmonic injection enables an improvement in the dc bus utilisation without moving into the over-modulation region, while still providing sinusoidal output phase voltages. A generalised concept of n th harmonic injection for n-phase inverters is presented. The viability of the proposed concept is proved by simulation taking five-phase VSI as an example. The method of fifth-harmonic injection in five-phase VSIs enables operation with pure sinusoidal voltages up to a certain reference voltage value which is smaller than the maximum achievable with the given dc link voltage. Sinusoidal PWM is further modified, by injecting other harmonics, in order to enable full utilisation of the dc bus voltage. The correlation of this PWM scheme with space vector PWM, based on utilisation of large vectors only, is established in this way. Some experimental results, illustrating application of the sinusoidal PWM in series-connected five-phase two-motor drives, are included.

A patient with unremitting thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), with circulating von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers of unusually high molecular weight, and refractory to standard plasma exchange therapy, was treated with solvent detergent (S/D) plasma. The patient achieved a sustained clinical and haematological remission, with normal VWF multimeric profile. Spontaneous remission of this patient's condition could not be excluded but would appear unlikely. S/D plasma was efficacious and potentially safe for repeated large-volume plasma exchange with respect to viral safety and reduction of anaphylactoid reactions. We have assayed coagulation factors and physiological inhibitors of haemostasis in S/D plasma, which were comparable to normal plasma except in the distribution of VWF multimers. The use of S/D plasma, previously reported in paediatric chronic relapsing TTP, should be assessed in further cases of adult TTP in the context of a clinical trial.

The commonest indication for platelet use, where reinforcement of guidelines will be productive, is prophylaxis in haematological disease. Use of platelets in cardiac surgery is also worthy of close scrutiny.