Severe hypertriglyceridemia (TG) is one of the causes of acute pancreatitis. When TG levels are very high, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins – especially chylomicrons – accumulate in the plasma, increasing blood viscosity and causing microcirculation disorders in the pancreas. If not promptly intervened, patients are at risk of progressing to severe acute pancreatitis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and multiple organ failure.
In these cases, rapidly reducing triglyceride levels is an important treatment goal. In addition to medical treatment, Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is an effective method to quickly remove triglyceride-rich plasma from circulation, thereby rapidly improving the biochemical indices and clinical condition of the patient.
The Intensive Care Unit – Thai Nguyen has successfully implemented the TPE technique using the MCS centrifugal system for patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
Clinical Case 1:
The patient was admitted with triglycerides at 70 mmol/L. After performing TPE, triglyceride levels decreased to 20 mmol/L, and continued to decrease to 8 mmol/L after medical treatment.
Clinical Case 2:
Time: 23:00 on 05/03/2026
The patient had triglycerides at 41 mmol/L. After performing TPE, triglyceride levels sharply decreased to 2.25 mmol/L, demonstrating the clear effectiveness of plasma exchange in rapidly removing triglycerides from circulation.
Compared to membrane filtration plasma exchange, centrifugal TPE has several advantages such as high plasma separation efficiency, rapid removal of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and good preservation of blood cell components. Thanks to the density-based separation mechanism, the centrifugal system ensures stable and effective plasma exchange without the risk of filter clogging incidents.
The successful implementation of the TPE technique at the Intensive Care Unit – Thai Nguyen has introduced an effective treatment method for severe hypertriglyceridemia cases, contributing to enhancing the management of critical metabolic disorders and improving treatment outcomes for patients.
