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plasmapheresis

American  
[plaz-muh-fuh-ree-sis] / ˌplæz mə fəˈri sɪs /

noun

Medicine/Medical.
  1. a type of apheresis in which blood cells are returned to the bloodstream of the donor and the plasma is used, as for tranfusion.


plasmapheresis British  
/ ˌplæzməˈfɛrəsəs /

noun

  1. (in blood transfusion) a technique for removing healthy or infected plasma by separating it from the red blood cells by settling or using a centrifuge and retransfusing the red blood cells into the donor or patient

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of plasmapheresis

First recorded in 1915–20; plasm- + apheresis


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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

When traditional treatments don’t work, plasmapheresis, which removes or exchanges blood plasma from the body, can also be an option.

From National Geographic ● Oct. 3, 2023

And it's also a possibility that Grifols addressed in its plasmapheresis trials.

From Nature ● Sep. 26, 2017

Most of these patients get treated by plasmapheresis, a blood-filtering process akin to dialysis that involves being hooked to a machine for several hours over the course of a week.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2016

Thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other donors, expensive plasmapheresis machines to separate plasma from blood were sent to all three Ebola-affected countries for use in clinical studies.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 31, 2015

Using a blood-filtering technique known as plasmapheresis, doctors can now lower the odds that a recipient will reject an incompatible kidney.

From New York Times ● Feb. 19, 2012

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