Neurologic patients and therapeutic plasma exchange: experience of one centre in Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is one of the effective methods of treating various diseases. This study is aimed at discerning the most prevalent TPE indications and accessing the effectiveness of TPE in curing neurological patients. Materials and MethodsDuring one year (2014)(2015), all referred neurologic patients, that is 250 cases, in this study had undergone therapeutic plasma exchange and were evaluated and the outcome (death or remission) was observed. We used comparison analysis, variance analysis of variables, t-test (t-student), chi-square (chi-two) and logistic regression. Statistical analysis performed with IBM statistics SPSS (ver.21). ResultsOut of these 250 neurologic patients, 118 (47Á2%) were men, and 132 (52Á8%) were women. 236 (94Á4%) patients were cured: 111(47%) men and 125 (53%) women. The most common diseases in our study were Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) with 86 (34Á4%) cases, Myasthenia gravis (MG) with 80 (32%) cases, Multiple sclerosis (MS) with 35 (14%) cases, respectively. Statistically, age is one of the effective variables in clinical improvement (P < 0Á001). Admission in the intensive care unit (P = 0Á001), level of consciousness (P = 0Á001), requiring mechanical ventilation and respiratory conditions (P = 0Á001) were also effective in recovery. ConclusionThe most common disease in our study was Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). 33Á6% (i.e. 84) of all patients were bedridden admitted in ICU who had 10 times less chance of recovery than patients admitted in the ward (P = 0Á001). Among these neurologic patients, age, admission in intensive care unit, level of consciousness, requiring mechanical ventilation and respiratory conditions were significant in the treatment, statistically.