Therapeutic Plasmapheresis in a Tertiary Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A 10-Year Single-Center Experience.

INTRODUCTION

Therapeutic plasmapheresis (TP) is an extracorporeal treatment method used for a variety of patients with various diseases.

METHODS

For this retrospective study, patients who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and received TP therapy between 2013 and 2023, and whose medical records were reached, were included.

RESULTS

A total of 72 children were included in the study. The most common indication for TP was septic shock, followed by multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The median number of TP sessions was 2, and the median PRISM III score was 14.5. Of the patients, 56.9% had ASFA class 3 diagnoses, and 5.6% developed thrombosis as a complication. The mortality rate was 44.4%, most of whom had an underlying disease.

CONCLUSION

TP is an important supportive therapy in critically ill patients admitted to PICUs. We believe that early initiation of TP may be life-saving with proper indications.