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We have examined the effectiveness of intravenous calcium gluconate infusion in the prevention of citrate reactions during therapeutic plasma exchange. Over 3 years, 636 procedures were performed on 90 patients, mostly for treatment of neurological disorders. Return fluid consisted of 4-5% human serum albumin in 0.9% NaCl. Anticoagulant ACD-A was used at a starting ratio of 1:16. Whole blood flow rates were 70-80 ml/min. Treatments were divided into three groups for management of citrate reactions: Group A (360 treatments) were managed using simple measures only, including slowing the whole blood flow rate, altering the ACD:whole blood flow ratio, and oral calcium carbonate wafers; Group B (102 treatments) received small intravenous boluses of 10% calcium gluconate, us to 25 ml during the procedure; Group C (174 treatments) received constant infusion of calcium gluconate (10 ml/liter of return fluid) during the procedure. Citrate reactions occurred in 35.6% of Group A and 29.4% of Group B treatments (P = 0.3), but in only 8.6% of Group C treatments (P < 0.0001). Men with and without reactions were the same age (mean 63.3 vs. 61 years, P = 0.0823), but women with reactions were younger than women without reactions (mean 49.9 vs. 57.9 years, P < 0.0001). Supplementation of the return fluid with calcium gluconate is an effective, convenient, and well-tolerated method for prevention of citrate toxicity during therapeutic plasma exchange procedures using albumin-based return fluid.
Robert S. Weinstein (Mon,) studied this question.