The Cell Xchange

If you or someone The red blood cell exchange procedure removes the patient's red blood cells and replaces them with healthy red blood cells. Today in this short video, we will cover how sickle cell disease affects the red blood cells, how red blood cell exchange works, and why you should consider talking to your doctor about red blood cell exchange. Now, let's begin with a quick lesson. Sickle cell disease affects the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Let me explain. Red blood cells containing normal hemoglobin are able to flow freely through the blood vessels. In sickle cell disease, red blood cells contain a form of abnormal hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. The presence of hemoglobin S causes red blood cells to become misshapen and sticky, making it difficult for them to pass through the small blood vessels. As a result, the body's tissues and organs are deprived of the oxygen they need to function properly. Now that we understand how sickle cell disease affects the red blood cells, let's explore how red blood cell exchange works. The red blood cell exchange procedure uses a medical device called a blood cell separator, for example, the spectrooptheia apheresis system. The system uses a centrifuge that spins blood and separates it into red blood cells and other blood components. Now let's take a look at what happens during a red blood cell exchange procedure. First, the sterile tubing set, which holds the patient's blood during the procedure, is placed on the spectrooptheia system. Next, a clinician determines how the tubing set is connected to the patient. Options include needles placed in the patient's arm or arms. Depending on the length of treatment, more permanent options may be used. Once the tubing set is connected, blood is removed from the patient and mixed with a fluid called anaguagulant, which prevents the blood from clotting. Less than a cup of blood is in the tubing set at any point during the procedure. Next, the blood is sent to the centrifuge, where the red blood cells are separated from the other blood components. The healthy donor red blood cells are returned to the patient, and when the procedure is complete, the tubing set and the red blood cells removed from the patient are thrown away. Here's what you should know about the red blood cell exchange procedure. The length of the procedure varies from patient to patient, but can often be completed in two hours or less. The procedure generally takes less time than a transfusion, where blood is given to the patient and not removed. During the procedure, the patient is monitored by medical staff to provide any necessary comfort measures. The recommended frequency of a red blood cell exchange procedure is determined by a doctor. While some patients may experience slight discomfort when the tubes are connected, the procedure itself is not painful. Bruising may occur depending on how the patient is connected to the system. Some patients may experience side effects. Patient anxiety may result in side effects such as headache, lightheadedness, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, chills, nausea, vomiting, and fainting. Other rare side effects may include tingling around the lips or fingers, fever, hives, itching, shock, and high or low blood pressure. Serious problems such as allergic reactions to red blood cells and infections due to viruses such as hepatitis and HIV are extremely rare. A U. S. clinical trial was conducted on the red blood cell exchange procedure with the following results. No serious adverse events were reported in 72 investigational patients tested in the clinical study. 13 of the 72 patients, or 18. 1%, experienced at least one apheresis-related adverse event. Of the adverse events, mild to moderate dizziness and nausea were reported in 10 of the 13 cases. Four patients experienced a decrease in platelet count following the red blood cell exchange procedure. However, they did not require any medical intervention. A decrease in platelet count is typical for red blood cell exchange procedure. There was no difference in the types or severity of adverse events reported for adult and pediatric participants. Talk to your doctor to learn more about the benefits and potential risks and side effects of red blood cell exchange for the transfusion management of sickle cell disease. Thank you.