PLASMAPHERESIS IN THE TREATMENT OF INADVERTENT INTRAVENOUS-INFUSION OF AN ENTERAL FEEDING SOLUTION

This 50-year-old man was on enteral full-strength Ensure(R) through th e jejunostomy tube. The enteral feed was accidentally infused through the peripheral intravenous line. He went into a septic state with hypo tension, hyperemia, and Increased pulmonary shunting requiring ventila tory and inotropic support. We instituted two cycles of plasmapheresis in an attempt to remove any foreign antigen and toxins present. This resulted in improved oxygenation, rapid recovery, and discharge from i ntensive care. His blood culture grew Klebsiella species that was cons istent with the organism grown from the culture of the Ensure(R) feeds . (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.