Application of plasma exchange in the treatment of hemolytic uremic syndrome

Objective To investigate the significance of plasma exchange (PE) treatment on children with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).Methods From Jan 2008 to Dec 2010,16 patients diagnosed with HUS were included in this study,and PE was carried out on them.Frozen plasma was taken as replacement fluid,and the treatment time was 2 to 3 hours per time.Results All the 16 patients after PE treatment were survived without any apparent complications.The condition obviously alleviated after initial treatment.In 12 to 72hours,the icterus disappeared,serum creatinine [ ( 385.0 ± 189.4 ) μmol/L vs ( 100.0 ± 19.3 ) μmol/L ] and lactate dehydrogenase [ (799.3 ± 289.8 ) U/L vs (300.0 ± 100.4) U/L ] declined obviously ( P ＜ 0.05 ) and platelet count [ (45.0 ± 18.8 ) × 109/L vs ( 120.0 ± 20.0 ) × 109/L ],hemoglobin [ ( 59.3 ± 15.3 ) g/L vs ( 120.0 ± 18.3) g/L] rised( P ＜ 0.05 ).In the end,symptoms disappeared in 15 patients,laboratory examination returned to normal in 14 cases.Hospitalization time was 15 to 57 days.Conclusion PE can effectively relieve the illness and remove plasma pathogenic substances,block the pathological process of HUS and supply useful ingredients.Recommend PE as the fhst option in the treatment of HUS. Key words: Plasma exchange; Hemolytic uremic syndrome; Children