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
BACKGROUND: Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is a procedure in which plasma and harmful macromolecules are separated from the rest of the blood components by centrifugation or filtration through membranes and are replaced with solutions with albumin and/or plasma. AIM: To communicate our experience using TPE by filtration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of records of 655 TPE sessions performed in 102 patients aged 50 ± 18 years (64% women). The requirement of renal replacement therapy (RRT) and seven days and one year mortality were recorded. RESULTS: Forty five percent of patients had hypertension or diabetes. The main indications for TPE were pulmonary-renal syndrome (PRS) (62%) and antibody mediated graft rejection (29%), followed by neurological diseases (36%). Fifteen percent of patients required RRT for one year. Mortality at seven days and one year was 20 and 30%, respectively. Out of the total of deaths associated with kidney diseases, 88% corresponded to PRS and ANCA vasculitis. The main complications were thrombocytopenia in 41%, hypocalcemia in 18%, and hypotension in 16%. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, TPE by filtration is a safe technique, with mild and preventable complications. Despite this, the reported mortality is high, which reflects the severity of the diseases that motivated the indication for TPE.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Plasma Exchange/adverse effects , Plasma Exchange/methods , Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic , Retrospective Studies , Albumins , Glomerulonephritis , Hemorrhage , Lung DiseasesABSTRACT
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.