Concurrent centrifugation plasmapheresis and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration

Continuous venovenous hemofiltration/hemodiafiltration (CVVH/D) is commonly used to provide renal replacement therapy for critically ill patients who are hemodynamically unstable. Occasionally, the addition of plasmapheresis therapy is necessary for some conditions, including immune-mediated acute r enal failure, sepsis, fulminant hepatic failure, and thrombotic thrombocyto penic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome. Most tertiary care facilities prov ide centrifugation plasmapheresis instead of membrane plasmapheresis, becau se of the requirement for both therapeutic plasma exchange and pheresis of cellular blood products. We report a new technique where centrifugation pla smapheresis and CVVHD (P-CVVHD) are combined and used concurrently. Blood f rom the patient was concurrently filtered utilizing a Hospal BSM 22 machine with a Multiflow 60 hemofilter and a Cobe Spectra continuous cell separato r in a parallel configuration. P-CVVHD is technically possible and can be u sed for long periods of time with limited risks. There may be advantages to P-CVVHD compared with discontinuous combined CVVH/D and plasmapheresis the rapy.