[10 years plasma exchange with the IBM (Cobe) 2997].

From 1979 to 1989 fifty patients, representing 18 different diagnoses/indications, were treated with 385 non-selective therapeutic plasma exchanges (TPE). In the first five years of the survey, the neurological diseases predominated; since 1984, these cases were treated by the Dept. of Neurology. Five % human albumin solution, fresh-frozen-plasma and saline solution were used as replacement fluids. In the beginning, the exchange volume was 1.5-2 times that of the patient's plasma volume, now it is less and varies with the disorder. ACD-A was used as anticoagulant. 11% of the TPE treatments side effects, and in another 3% technical or operator mistakes were noticed. As a supportive therapy, the plasma exchange was effective in the hyperviscosity syndrome, myasthenia gravis, thrombotic thrombocytopenic syndrome, myasthenia gravis, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), hypercholesterolaemia, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, haemolytic crisis of a homozygous sickle-cell anaemia. There was, however, no definite convincing success in acute liver failure.