Theraputic Apheresis

LifeSouth Registered Nurses serve the needs of pediatric and adult patients at local hospitals. Special areas of treatment include, but are not limited to, nephrology, neurology, and hematology.

Therapeutic apheresis is the removal of a blood component from a patient to remove defective cells or deplete a disease mediator. The process removes whole blood and separates the blood components via centrifugation. The procedures are performed to attain a curative state or maintain a palliative state in a number of disease processes.

Therapeutic plasma exchange removes antibodies and immune complexes responsible for causing certain disease processes. For an effective plasma exchange, a pathogen or toxin must be removed. Treatment of choice for thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura, also used for hemolytic uremic syndrome, Goodpastures syndrome, Gullain- Barre syndrome, and myasthenia gravis. Currently LifeSouth is working in conjunction with physicians from Shands at UF to explore the effectiveness of TPE in organ transplant rejection.

Red blood cell exchange primarily used to remove sickled red blood cells. Typically indicated for the prevention or complications of stroke, acute chest syndrome, priapism,
acute, multi-organ failure and splenic sequestration. Other indications include thalassemia, babesiosisand malaria.

Photopheresis is an extracorporeal leukapheresis-based, photo immune therapy using ultraviolet light. During treatment, a light activated drug, Uvadex, binds to DNA and damages the rapidly multiplying cells. Indicated for palliative treatment of patients with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, and possibly GVHD after bone marrow transplant.

White blood cell depletion is the reduction of polymorphonuclear or mononuclear cells. The goal is to rapidly reduce circulating white blood cells by 30 to 60 percent providing temporary clinical improvement. Disease processes treated include acute and
chronic myelocytic leukemia and cutaneous lymphoma
in blast crisis.

Platelet depletion is used to prevent or treat thromboembolitic complications. Indicated with extreme thrombocytosis and/or organ complications. Increased platelets can occur in myeloproliferative disorders such as essential thrombocytosis, polycythemia rubra vera, chronic myelocytic leukemia, and myelofibrosis.

In addition, we offer Therapeutic phlebotomy removal of whole blood. Indicated to decrease red cell mass in polycythemia vera and to remove excess iron in hemachromatosis.