Therapeutic apheresis: use of human serum albumin, fresh frozen plasma and cryosupernatant plasma in therapeutic plasma exchange.

In therapeutic plasma exchange, patient plasma is removed and a colloid replacement solution is infused in its stead. A solution of 4-5% human serum albumin in saline is the recommended replacement solution in most instances, even though it leads to transient mild deficiencies of most plasma proteins. Albumin solutions are pasteurized to inactivate viruses, carry a very low risk of febrile and allergic reactions, and are convenient to store and administer. Fresh frozen plasma, which must be type specific and needs to be ordered in advance and thawed before use, carries a higher risk of reactions; however, it replaces all plasma constituents and is appropriate for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or a pre-existing coagulopathy. Neither cryosupernatant plasma, which is relatively depleted of the proteins in cryoprecipitate, nor pooled plasma that has been virally inactivated with organic solvents and detergents has been shown to be superior to fresh frozen plasma for any indication.