Clinical use of apheresis procedures for the treatment of patients and collection of cellular therapy products

This guideline is an update to the archived BCSH guideline on the clinical use of cell separators (BCSH Joint Working Party, 1998). The scope has been extended into a comprehensive description of best practice in Clinical Apheresis. The objective of this guideline is to provide healthcare professionals with clear guidance on the use of clinical apheresis.

A new guideline is therefore required to address clinical apheresis as practised in the UK. The 1998 BCSH guideline focused on procedures carried out on ‘cell separators’ (i.e. excluding plasma exchange carried out on renal dialysis equipment) and included collection of donor plasma, platelets and red cells by apheresis, which are excluded from the current guideline, as best practice is described elsewhere by separate publications within the UK Transfusion Services.

The remit of the current guideline, covering all plasma exchange regardless of equipment used, all therapeutic procedures undertaken on cell separators, and any autologous or allogeneic donor apheresis for procurement of cellular therapy products, reflects a more contemporary definition of ‘Clinical Apheresis’.

Topics covered include: plasma exchange, red cell apheresis, extracorporeal photopheresis, cytoreductive apheresis, cellular therapy product collection by apheresis, lipoprotein apheresis, clinical management of patients/ donors, service delivery and design, quality management (includes an audit template).