Chapter 21: Haematological procedures
Skip chapter table of contents and go to main content
Methods for apheresis
The procedure for performing apheresis is complex and differs depending on the system and application. The basic steps in apheresis are:
- removal of whole blood from a patient or donor into a cell separator
- addition of an anticoagulant to the blood to prevent clotting in the extracorporeal circuit
- centrifugation and/or filtration to achieve separation of the blood components
- removal/collection of the desired blood component
- return of the rest of the blood to the patient with or without replacement products.
The ability of various techniques and equipment to carry out these basic steps determines collection efficiency and product purity (Burgstaler [18]). Further information can be gained from the respective apheresis operators’ manuals.
