THE ADVANTAGES AND CLINICAL USES OF DESICCATED PLASMA PREPARED BY THE ADTEVAC PROCESS

Abstract

The desiccated plasma used by the authors was produced by methods including vacuum bottle collection of human blood, large vol. (25-50 liters) pooling of all types of chilled blood, separation of plasma by means of 2 De Laval separators, Seitz filtration of plasma with use of a filter aid (filter-eel), bulk desiccation in Hill-Pfeiffer ampoules by the adtevac process, transference of dry plasma to small bottles and the adm. of plasma intravenously as a 4x concentrate. The indications for the intraven. use of concentrated plasma included all types of shock, control of plasma protein level, the edemas and the provision of antibodies in disease. There were only 2 major contraindications; namely, incapacitating myocardial damage and extreme dehydration. Desiccated plasma was prepared from almost 1,000,000 cc. of blood. The 50,107 cc. of concentrated plasma given at Baylor Hospital were related to 276 cases which include 674 separate adms. There were only 5 (0.74%) febrile reactions. Smaller quantities of Hb (80-300 mgs %) in plasma were absolutely not conducive to reactions. The 93 cases of shock treated with concentrated plasma were classified clinically as severe, moderate and mild. The results were rapidly effective and sustained in 82.7% of the cases. The blood pressure response was frequently very rapid. Concentrated plasma acts by reversing the abnormal physiologic mechanism of shock by shifting fluids from the tissues into the blood stream and holding it there where it is essential. The dose depends on the response and 100 cc. of 3x or 4x concentrated plasma should be given rapidly every 5-15 mins. until the response is adequate. The treatment of burns seems more effective when concentrated plasma is combined with normal plasma. The effect on toxemias of pregnancy is somewhat disappointing. Bulk separation and desiccation of plasma is a very safe procedure as shown by clinical trial.