ABSTRACT
Liver transplantation is the only effective therapy to reduce the high mortality associated with acute liver failure and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). Single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD) is an extracorporeal supportive therapy used as a bridge to liver transplantation or regeneration. We report a 44-year-old man with alcoholic cirrhosis admitted for critical COVID-19 pneumonia that evolves with ACLF. SPAD technique was performed completing six sessions, with a reduction of bilirubin and ammonia levels. He evolved with severe respiratory failure and refractory septic shock, dying. SPAD is a safe and efficient technique aimed to eliminate liver toxins, preventing multiorgan damage interrupting the process known as the "autointoxication hypothesis". It is easy to implement in any critical patient unit and has lower costs than other extracorporeal liver support therapies.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adult , Liver Transplantation , Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure/etiology , Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure/therapy , COVID-19/complications , Renal Dialysis/methods , Albumins/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and blood purification therapies have a role to immunomodulate the excessive inflammatory response and improve clinical results. One of the devices designed for these therapies is the oXiris® filter, allowing to perform renal replacement therapy combined with selective adsorption of endotoxins and cytokines. We report a 55-year-old male with COVID who developed a septic shock secondary to a sepsis caused by Pseudomona aeruginosa, refractory to the usual management. A veno-venous continuous hemofiltration was started using the oXiris® filter for 48 hours. Subsequently, there was an improvement in clinical perfusion parameters and a reduction in inflammatory markers. The patient was discharged from the intensive care one month later.