Therapeutic Plasma Exchange saves lives

The effective treatment in saving rat fever patients with severe lung haemorrhage is ‘Therapeutic Plasma Exchange’ or plasmapheresis, the Sunday

Times learns. This has “drastically” reduced the death rate among patients from 75% to 25%, points out Dr. Wimalasiri Uluwattage.

Used in the treatment of auto-immune diseases, the patient’s plasma is removed and replaced with fresh plasma, it is understood.

“Small amounts of blood are gradually removed from the patient’s body through an inserted needle or central line catheter and circulated through a machine that introduces a plasma substitute to his/her own blood cells (red cells, white cells and platelets). Thereafter, the blood, from which about 70% of the affected proteins (antibodies) have been removed, is re-channelled into the patient with fresh plasma,” he says.

Consultant Transfusion Physician Dr. Teshanthi Walivita who carries out the Therapeutic Plasma Exchange procedure for rat fever patients at the Karapitiya Hospital

A patient undergoing Therapeutic Plasma Exchange