Therapeutic plasma exchange for multidrug intoxication: A case report

The Role of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in the Treatment of Childhood Intoxication: A Single-Center Experience

OBJECTIVES

Therapeutic plasma exchange is used to treat neurologic, hematological, renal, and autoimmune diseases with a known or suspected etiopathogenesis. However, there is incomplete understanding of the use of therapeutic plasma exchange in pediatric cases of intoxication. This study investigated 5 years of experience with therapeutic plasma exchange to treat intoxication cases.

DESIGN

A retrospective, case series, single-center study.

SETTING

PICU of Baskent University, Dr. Turgut Noyan Teaching, and Medical Research Center Hospital in Adana, Turkey.

PATIENTS

Fourteen patients diagnosed with intoxication who underwent therapeutic plasma exchange between January 2013 and January 2018.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data pertaining to 14 patients, including their medical history (exposure to drugs/toxicants), demographics, initial presentation, and severity of clinical symptoms (requirement of mechanical ventilation, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and the pediatric severity of illness score [Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction] were retrospectively reviewed. The most common indication for therapeutic plasma exchange was multiple drug intoxication, followed by amitriptyline, Amanita phalloides mushroom, carbamazepine, mercury, verapamil, and botulism. All patients underwent therapeutic plasma exchange and two patients underwent hemodialysis before therapeutic plasma exchange. There was no mortality or complications related to the therapeutic plasma exchange procedure. Clinical improvement was observed after therapeutic plasma exchange in 13 of the 14 patients; one patient with verapamil intoxication died.

CONCLUSIONS

Therapeutic plasma exchange appears to be safe and effective for treating pediatric cases of intoxication, including multidrug and amitriptyline intoxication, and is associated with significant recovery in the majority of severely affected patients. Treatment of intoxication with therapeutic plasma exchange should be guided primarily by the properties of the causative toxic substances/drugs, and consideration of patient age, the severity of clinical symptoms, Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score and response to initial supportive and antidotal treatment.

A Case of Severe, Refractory Hypotension After Amlodipine Overdose

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are responsible for a substantial portion of the mortality associated with cardiovascular medication overdose cases. Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine CCB, can cause prolonged hypotension in overdose. This report describes a severe amlodipine overdose case that was refractory to multiple therapeutic approaches. A 53-year-old male presented after ingesting eighty 10 mg amlodipine tablets in a suicide attempt. The patient was initially managed with calcium boluses, glucagon, multiple vasoactive agents, lipid emulsion infusions and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic therapy. Methylene blue boluses were initiated when hypotension persisted despite conventional treatments. Refractory hypotension prompted the use of plasmapheresis in an attempt to lower serum amlodipine levels. Finally, the patient was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to maintain perfusion while the effects of the amlodipine ingestion dissipated. Following an episode of asystole and pulseless electrical activity prior to the start of ECMO, the patient suffered an anoxic brain injury and suspected herniation prompting the family to withdraw medical care. There is limited evidence in the literature describing the refractory treatment modalities utilized in this patient. This report is unique as it describes the clinical course of a patient when a multitude of unique treatments were combined.

Use of Cellular and Plasma Apheresis in the Critically Ill Patient: Part II: Clinical Indications and Applications

Apheresis is the process of separating the blood and removing or manipulating a cellular or plasma component for therapeutic benefit. Such procedures may be indicated in the critical care setting as primary or adjunctive therapy for certain hematologic, neurologic, renal, and autoimmune/rheumatologic disorders. In part I of this series, the technical aspects of apheresis were described and the physiologic rationale and clinical considerations were discussed. This review highlights the pathophysiologic basis, specific clinical indications, and treatment parameters for disorders that more commonly require management in the intensive care unit. The choice of plasma or cellular apheresis in these cases is guided by wellaccepted, evidence-based clinical treatment guidelines. For some disorders, such as liver failure, severe sepsis, and multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome, apheresis treatment approaches remain experimental. Ongoing studies are investigating the potential utility of conventional plasma exchange, ex vivo plasma manipulation, and newer technologies for these and other disorders in severely ill patients.

Medications in patients treated with therapeutic plasma exchange: prescription dosage, timing, and drug overdose

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is an extracorporeal process commonly used in clinical medicine for the treatment of a variety of neurological, renal, hematological, dermatological, and other diseases. Inherent to the procedure, patients' plasma removal may lead to the extraction of drugs they are concurrently receiving. This review discusses the published literature assessing TPE's influence on different drug classes' disposition and, when applicable, sets forth management recommendations in cases where the drugs are used at the usual doses and in cases of drug overdose.