This survey based study describes current ECP practices. Further research to provide evidence for optimal standardization of patient qualifications, procedure parameters and product quality assessment is recommended.
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients have substantial transfusion requirements. Factors associated with increased transfusions and the extent of blood product use in umbilical cord blood (UCB) recipients are uncertain. We reviewed blood product use in 229 consecutive adult recipients of allogeneic HCT at the University of Minnesota: 147 with leukemia, 82 lymphoma or myeloma; 58% received unrelated UCB and 43% sibling donor peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) grafts. Although neutrophil recovery was prompt (UCB median 17, range 2–45 days, and PBSC 14, range 3–34 days), only 135 of 229 (59% cumulative incidence, CI) achieved RBC independence and 157 (69%) achieved platelet independence by 6 months. Time to platelet independence was prolonged in UCB recipients (median UCB 41 vs. PBSC 14 days) and in patients who had received a prior transplant (median 48 vs. 32 days). Patients who received UCB grafts required more RBC through day 60 post HCT (mean UCB 7.8 (95% CI 6.7–8.9) vs. PBSC 5.2 (3.7–6.7) transfusions, p=0.04), and more platelet transfusions (mean 25.2 (95% CI 22.1–28.2) vs. 12.9 (9.4–16.4), p<0.01) compared to PBSC recipients. Patient receiving myeloablative (MA) conditioning required more RBC and platelet transfusions during the first 2 months post HCT compared to reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) (7.4 vs. 6.2, p=0.3 for RBC; 23.2 vs 17.5, p=0.07 for platelets). Despite prompt neutrophil engraftment, UCB recipients had delayed platelet recovery as well as more prolonged and costly blood product requirements. Enhanced approaches to accelerate multilineage engraftment could limit the transfusion-associated morbidity and costs accompanying UCB allotransplantation.
Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) without plasma replacement results in coagulation factor removal. Warfarin decreases the activity of vitamin K dependent coagulation factors. The combined effect of TPE and warfarin on the coagulation system has not been studied. A prospective, observational study was conducted in patients undergoing TPE while on warfarin. One plasma volume TPEs were performed on the COBE Spectra Apheresis System (Terumo BCT, Lakewood, CO) with 5% albumin. International normalized ratio (INR), fibrinogen, and factor II activity were obtained pre and post procedure. Eight patients underwent 121 TPEs that met study criteria with pre and post data. The average pre values were INR 2.09 ± 0.58, fibrinogen 263 ± 76 mg/dl, and factor II 29 ± 16% and the average post values were INR 4.12 ± 1.44, fibrinogen 105 ± 31 mg/dl, and factor II 13 ± 7%. The pre-INR was ≥2.00 for 55% of TPEs. The pre value (Y0 ) predicts the post value (Y) by the following equations Y = -0.54 + 2.21Y0 , Y =12.10 + 0.35Y0, and Y =1.83 + 0.39Y0 for INR, fibrinogen, and factor II respectively. In conclusion, pre procedure laboratory values can predict the post laboratory values for patients on warfarin receiving single plasma volume TPE with albumin replacement. The post-INR is approximately twice the pre-INR. At normal and mildly elevated pre-INR, the effect of TPE on the INR is less marked. A single plasma volume TPE decreases the plasma level by ∼65% for fibrinogen and 60% for factor II.
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