ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Conducting a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of artificial liver support system (ALSS) in the treatment of hepatic failure in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical trials comparing ALSS vs. routine medical treatment of hepatic failure in China were identified from computer-based literature. The pooled odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) of prognostic indicators, such as survival rate and clinical improvement rate at discharge, were used to measure the magnitude of the efficacy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten trials including 1030 patients were identified. The odds ratio (95% CI) of survivorship or improvement of ALSS over routine medical treatment in early, intermediate and advanced stages of hepatic failure were 3.72 (2.03-6.83), 2.79 (2.88-4.14) and 1.85 (0.96-3.56) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ALSS treatment is more effective in early and intermediate stages of hepatic failure than routine medical treatment, but not in its advanced stage.</p>