Therapeutic plasma exchange in severe sepsis or septic shock.

Endotoxic shock with multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is fatal in more than 80% of cases and is the leading cause of death in patients admitted to intensive care units. The incidence has increased to more then 100% in the last 10 years and there has been no significant decreases in its morbidity and mortality. The systemic inflammatory response to infection, e.g. sepsis, develops when the endotoxins activate various cascade systems. The activation of the cascade systems triggers further release of various active substances and cytokines. The progress may result in consumption coagulopathy, which may further generate an acute septic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and MODS. When more than 3 organs are involved, the risk of fatal outcome exceeds 80%. The use of plasma exchange may be a beneficial adjunct to therapy during a progressive septic shock with MODS, when the patient does not respond to classical intensive care unit therapy. The beneficial effect, recently reported for plasma exchange procedures in patients with sepsis, may be due to the removal of various toxins and waste products from the blood, and administration of plasma from healthy subjects.