Prophylaxis and Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema with Fresh Frozen Plasma: A Synthesis and Narrative Review

Patients with angioedema who experience an acute exacerbation may die if their symptoms are not treated promptly. Airway compromise can occur if proper precautions are not taken. Surgical patients with hereditary angioedema should undergo prophylactic treatment before surgical procedures to decrease the risk of an exacerbation. A literature search was performed using the Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL (EBSCO), Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition (EBSCO), and MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine) databases. Six articles were found that discussed administration of fresh fro-zen plasma (FFP) for treatment or prophylaxis against angioedema exacerbations. Synthesis of the evidence suggests that use of FFP as a sole prophylaxis or treatment for angioedema is inappropriate. FFP can be used as part of a multimodal treatment plan for prophylaxis against angioedema if a C1 esterase inhibitor is not available.&nbsp