Effect of Educational Package on Complications Associated with Plasmapheresis among Patients with Autoimmune Disorders

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant. Prof of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez-Canal University, Egypt

2 Lecturer of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Helwan University, Egypt

Abstract

Autoimmune disorders represent an extreme range of clinical conditions affecting different organs,
with the production of autoantibodies as a main pathogenic mechanism that strongly needs
treatment with plasmapheresis. Aim: Evaluate the effect of educational Package on complications
associated with plasmapheresis among patients with autoimmune disorders. Method: Quasi-
experimental design was implemented on a purposeful sample selected by simple randomization on
(100) one-hundred patients undergoing plasmapheresis; from the 1st of July, 2019 to the end of
January, 2020. Tools: Two tools were used to conduct this study including interview questionnaire
to assess demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, and body system plasmapheresis
related complications scale to assess complications associated with plasmapheresis. Results: The
most obvious diagnosis was Myasthenia Gravis in (48.0% and 52.0%) followed with Guillain-Barre
syndrome in (40.0%, 36.0%) of the study and control group correspondingly. The most commonly
reported complications in both groups were vomiting, citrate induced hypocalcaemia, angioedema,
hematoma, and arrhythmias with the same priority order after educational package implementation
with (P<0.05). Conclusion: A statistical significant decline occurred in the report of
plasmapheresis-associated complications after the application of an educational package
(P<0.05). Recommendations: Further researches are needed to study the effect of different
management strategies on controlling the most common plasmapheresis-associated complications.

Keywords