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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of plasmapheresis

First recorded in 1915–20; plasm- + apheresis

Compare meaning

How does plasmapheresis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• apheresis vs. plasmapheresis

Example Sentences

Today, first-line immunotherapies include plasmapheresis, in which blood is circulated outside the body to purge plasma of antibodies, or an infusion of immunoglobulins—antibodies produced by plasma cells—which prompts the body to sop up autoantibodies.

From Science Magazine • May 15, 2024

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

She was only the 217th person in the world to be diagnosed with the disorder and among the first to receive the concoction of steroids, immunoglobulin infusions and plasmapheresis she credits for her recovery.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2019

The bus houses a mobile laboratory and a hefty piece of equipment that is the Cadillac of plasmapheresis, a process that separates the yellowish plasma from the rest of the blood.

From Washington Post • Feb. 9, 2015

Compared with other experimental treatments, plasmapheresis requires a complicated procedure and use of a potentially infectious fluid.

From Nature • Oct. 8, 2014