Therapeutic Plasma Exchange and Selective Plasma Separation Methods

The third edition will give a new, complete overview of the therapeutic apheresis (TA) including all semi- and selective methods, which are available. All methods, their functions, indications, clinical results, criticisms, and future aspects are discussed. This edition contains 408 pages including 100 tables and 86 figures, and 2776 references. In 6 capters historical highlights, methods of unselective and selective separation procedures, complications and side effects of TA and clinical results of different diseases will be mentioned. Possible indications of TA are shown in pediatric diseases. Selective separation methods like cascade-filtration, cryofiltration, plasmaperfusion, fibrinogen-adsorption, different methods of Immunoadsorption, and LDL-apheresis, and other methods, like BioLogic-DTPP-system, Molecular Adsorbent Recycling system (MARS), Prometheus system etc., are discussed and their indications are shown.
Different clinical application committees has made a gradation of diseases, which are accepted for TA. All these new tendencies have influenced the clinical routine of treatments. The advantages are the elimination of pathologic substances and the interruption of pathogenic reactions. The disadvantages are the unselective elimination of all proteins by the unselective methods, the possible complications and the high costs. The authors try to define with regard to the literature the indications of different methods of TA. Especially in the present time, in which the resources in the health systems decrease enormously, a strong definition of indications for TA is necessary to save the health of our patients and to reduce the costs in future.
This edition should be a teaching and working book for all physicians, nurses, scientists, and industries, who are interested in this field. The experiments of modern biotechnologies to try a better imitating of the organ functions will be more and more encouraging, and we understand the pathophysiology of different diseases better and this enables us a more effective therapy in patients with bad prognosis. Very important are different adsorption methods for plasma or blood for various diseases. This edition will give answers to different questions in this area.