Surgical hypothermia in a patient with a cold agglutinin. Management by plasma exchange

Cold agglutinins are a potential danger to patients who must be subjected to hypothermia. A patient with a cold agglutinin of moderate titer but broad thermal amplitude was to undergo hypothermia during aortic valve replacement. He was managed preoperatively with an eight‐ liter plasma exchange by continuous‐flow centrifugation to remove the cold agglutinin. There were no adverse effects during or after hypothermia.