ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Plasmapheresis is an extracorporeal procedure that allows the plasma to be separated from the figurative elements of the blood, removing specific elements involved in pathological processes. OBJECTIVE: To show the experience of the Regional Hospital of Talca (HRT) in the use of Plasmapheresis from 2017 to March 2019. METHODS: Corresponds to a retrospective study of all patients undergoing plasmapheresis from January 2017 to March 2019 (27 months). The clinical profile of this group of patients is analyzed, emphasizing in the nephrological etiologies and showing the clinical evolution of the diseases submitted to this procedure and aspects such as number of sessions, complications and associated therapies. RESULTS: In this period 14 patients have required plasmapheresis in our center, 9 cases for renal causes (64.2%) and 5 for non-renal causes (35.7%). A deceased was recorded during the acute stage of the disease (7.14%), in the context of a negative antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in patient with pulmonary-renal syndrome. 78% of those who needed plasmapheresis for renal etiologies are on hemodialysis at the end of the work. The clinical improvement experienced in the majority of the cases studied allows us to attribute a beneficial effect of plasmapheresis.