Historical Perspectives

Abstract

This month’s Historical Perspective deals with a procedure that was once very common, but now is performed infrequently. Despite the fact that pediatric residents today may not have the opportunity to perform an exchange transfusion during their residencies, it is important for younger physicians to appreciate how the procedure was developed and to understand the principles on which it was based. Although exchange transfusion is performed infrequently these days, the insertion of an umbilical venous catheter is very common. As noted in the accompanying commentaries, the first umbilical venous catheters were inserted for the purpose of exchange transfusion. Consequently, there is a strong connection to modern day neonatology, even though at first glance it may seem that exchange transfusion currently is not relevant. The featured article was written by Dr Louis K. Diamond, [1] who provided his own perspective in a commentary published in 1976 that we reproduce following this introduction. He also provided complete details of how to perform the procedure in a paper published in 1951. [2] In addition, Dr Howard Pearson (who was a fellow in pediatric hematology under Dr Diamond) provides commentary about this important advance from today’s perspective. He previously had provided commentary about Dr Diamond’s paper in a supplement to Pediatrics that drew attention to important papers published in Pediatrics in the previous 50 years. [3] 1. ↵ Diamond LK. Replacement transfusion as a treatment for erythroblastosis fetalis. Pediatrics. 1948;2:520–524 [OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] 2. ↵ Diamond LK, Allen FH Jr, Thomas WO Jr. Erythroblastosis fetalis. VII. Treatment with exchange transfusion. N Engl J Med. 1951;244:39–44 3. ↵ Pearson HA. Commentary on Dr. Diamond’s paper. Pediatrics. 1998;102 (suppl):203–205 [OpenUrl][3][PubMed][4] # Perspective on Exchange Transfusion {#article-title-2} The following commentary originally appeared in 1976 as one of a series published by Ross Laboratories entitled “Landmarks in Perinatology/Neonatology” and is reproduced with permission of Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Inc, Columbus, OH. Aphrodite arose full-grown from the sea and the foam. Attractive as that picture is, it seldom occurs so suddenly in the field of science, where advances come relatively slowly in step-like progression. As a result, it is often … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPediatrics%26rft.stitle%253DPediatrics%26rft.issn%253D0031-4005%26rft.aulast%253DDIAMOND%26rft.auinit1%253DL.%2BK.%26rft.volume%253D2%26rft.issue%253D5%26rft.spage%253D520%26rft.epage%253D524%26rft.atitle%253DREPLACEMENT%2BTRANSFUSION%2BAS%2BA%2BTREATMENT%2BFOR%2BERYTHROBLASTOSIS%2BFETALIS%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F18893008%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=pediatrics&resid=2/5/520&atom=%2Fneoreviews%2F4%2F7%2Fe169.atom [3]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPediatrics%26rft.stitle%253DPediatrics%26rft.issn%253D0031-4005%26rft.volume%253D102%26rft.issue%253D1%26rft.spage%253D203%26rft.epage%253D205%26rft.atitle%253DReplacement%2BTransfusion%2Bas%2Ba%2BTreatment%2Bof%2BErythroblastosis%2BFetalis%252C%2Bby%2BLouis%2BK.%25A0Diamond%252C%2BMD%252C%2BPediatrics%252C%2B1948%253B2%253A520-524%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F9651427%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=9651427&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fneoreviews%2F4%2F7%2Fe169.atom