[Plasmapheresis--possible complications and their prevention].

: Plasmapheresis it is a therapeutic method based on extracorporeal plasma exchange. First attempts at treatment with plasmapheresis date back to the beginning of the 20th century. However, it was first brought to clinical practice only in the 1950s as a way of treating Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia and in last decades a dynamic improvement in this method has been observed. At the moment plasmapheresis is used in the treatment of over 150 diseases. Like every invasive method, it may cause complications, which are due to anticoagulation, the use of replacement fluids, the technical part of the procedure, and the presence of intravenous catheters. The knowledge of potential complications and the way of preventing them by the medical staff help to avoid complications and to decrease their harmful effects.