ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes therapeutic hemapheresis activities in the 30 regional blood services, with special reference to the organization of the national program, the therapeutic hemapheresis registry and the centralized bibliographic services. Therapeutic hemapheresis procedures in American Red Cross Blood Services are coordinated by staff at the national headquarters in Washington, D.C., who provide technical assistance, organize annual conferences, and provide medical, technical, and nursing consultation services. The great majority of the reported studies are case reports wihout any conclusive control groups, blinding, randomization, or other techniques used in controlled clinical trials. For patients with neurological diseases, plasma exchange was most successful in the management of myasthenia gravis. A Therapeutic Hemapheresis Bibliography has been prepared and distributed to all regional blood services that contains a listing of journal and other bibliographic references related to all aspects of therapeutic hemapheresis, including specific diseases, technology, complications, and alternative methodologies.
