Clinical Evaluation of Non-Coated Activated Charcoal

Abstract

A new type of non-coated activated charcoal based on divinylbenzene-stylene copolymer (PAC) was evaluated.
After DHP for rabbits, electromicroscopic studies showed that the surface of PAC was very smooth without fissure and no blood cell adhered on its surface.
Following these studies, we examined PAC clinically for the patients of nitrazepam intoxication and of acute hepatic failure. After 3 hours DHP with PAC, their consciousness levels and EEG findings were improved significantly. Nitrazepam clearance of PAC showed about 20% higher value than that of coated charcoal (CAC) and PAC still had adsorptive capacity for nitrazepam after 3 hours DHP. There were transient decreace in platelet and WBC during DHP with gradual recovery to the pre-value at the end of therapy.
These results indicate that PAC has greater adsorptive capacity than CAC and has same biocompatibility as CAC. We conclude that encapsulation of charcoal is not necessary at least for short term DHP.