Exclusive therapeutic apheresis delivery system

Abstract

The demand for plasma exchange has grown significantly since the early 1980s after the publication of articles describing the benefits of this treatment modality in a number of serious medical conditions [1–4]. New indications for cytapheresis procedures have expanded the demand for therapeutic apheresis (TA) even further. [5,6] Most TA procedures before the 1980s were usually performed in a research setting [1–4]. With the development of clear clinical indications for TA [7,8], the need for medically and technically competent TA providers became obvious. The Bay Area Mobile Apheresis Program (BAMAP) was conceived as an entity that would: one, provide exclusively TA services to patients who needed them, two, provide a setting for training of physicians and nurses in this new field, and three, be in the forefront of research through participation in clinical trials. Twenty years later, BAMAP continues to be an exclusive TA provider serving patients throughout the state of California. This paper discusses the development, organization and function of this stand-alone TA delivery system.