Blood washing is also known as apheresis in medical terminology. It involves the purification of the blood. The word apheresis comes from the Greek and means to take away or remove.
Below you will find further information on the blood washing process and selected apheresis specialists.
During this medical procedure, the patient lies on a stretcher, similar to a blood donation. The doctor draws blood from the vein in the arm. An apparatus then purifies it. The purified blood flows back into the patient's body via the other arm .
Blood washing removes pathogenic and excess blood components such as
Apheresis removes substances in the blood that cause damage @ Александр Ивасенко /AdobeStockThere are different types of blood washing:
Experts also differentiatebetween preparative apheresis and therapeutic apheresis:
In preparative apheresis, blood components are removed to be used later as a therapeutic agent. Stem cell apheresis helps cancer patients, for example.
Therapeutic apheresis is used for the targeted treatment of an existing disease, such as dialysis as a kidney replacement procedure.
Dialysis is suitable for all patients with severely or completely impaired kidney function. It is an artificial filtering process that removes harmful substances from the blood. Dialysis is therefore a special form of apheresis.
Our excretory organs, especially the kidneys and liver, make a valuable contribution to our health every day. They ensure that harmful substances such as alcohol or medication are excreted from the body.
If the organs are overloaded, this can have fatal consequences. Therapeutic apheresis helps the body to regain its balance.
Apheresis is used for many diseases. Lipid apheresis is the method of choice in cases of severe lipometabolic disorders.
If neither medication nor diet help with elevated blood lipids, blood washing is usually the only helpful procedure. However, those affected must undergo blood purification once a week for the rest of their lives.
Immunapheresis, on the other hand, is helpful for planned transplants. If the blood group or other characteristics of the donor and recipient do not match, a transplant can still take place thanks to immunapheresis.
The background: during blood purification, antibodies are washed out of the organ recipient's blood, which normally fight the foreign blood group.
Another field of application for blood purification is neurological diseases. The best known is multiple sclerosis. In patients for whom cortisone is not sufficient, apheresis removes antibodies from the blood.
Apheresis is also used for the following diseases:
Various environmental stresses and poisoning
Apheresis is also suitable for neurodermatitis @ lial88 /AdobeStockThere are two types of blood washing procedures:
Every blood wash is a strenuous procedure for the patient. Even the small blood wash takes about four hours. During this time, the patient is fully conscious and can read or watch a DVD at the same time. Blood purification is carried out extracorporeally, i.e. outside the body with the help of an apheresis machine.
A thorough medical history is taken before blood purification. The doctor will provide you with comprehensive information about the risks and side effects.
Before the procedure, the doctor inserts cannulas into two of the donor's arm veins. On the one side, the blood flows into a sterile tube system. There they add an anticoagulant to the blood. From there, the mixture flows into the cell separator. This is where the different blood components are separated from each other.
Filtration can also extract individual substances. After the procedure, the blood is returned to the donor via the other arm vein.
During the entire procedure, doctors constantly check your vital parameters. A team of specialists is at your side around the clock to ensure a complication-free procedure.
If you are planning an apheresis, you should stop taking medication that promotes blood clotting about a week beforehand.
Blood purification is very exhausting for the human body . For this reason, you should allow sufficient rest time after each treatment.
How long depends on the patient and their state of health. You should avoid strenuous activity on the day of the blood purification. It is advisable to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
After the procedure, you will remain under medical supervision for at least half an hour. If complications arise, they can help you quickly. The doctor will check your blood pressure and pulse rate. It is not necessary to stay in hospital after an apheresis.
If you are scheduled for blood washing, you will receive an individual treatment plan tailored to your needs . This will include not only upstream but also downstream measures.
Apheresis is a recognized therapeutic procedure and a form of blood plasma purification. In principle, it is a well-tolerated procedure.
However, vasovagal reactions are possible during the procedure.
These are manifested by
Patients often have a drop in blood pressure and a slow heartbeat.
The puncture site often becomes infected immediately after the procedure and forms a bruise.
A noticeable calcium deficiency is also common , which is caused by the breakdown of citrate. If this is the case, patients complain of shivering and tingling in the extremities. These symptoms can be quickly alleviated by administering calcium.
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