PLASMA EXCHANGE THERAPY OF HEPATIC FAILURE

Abstract

Five patients with hepatic failure (4 with acute hepatic failure and 1 with chronic hepatic failure) were treated by plasma exchange.
Improvement of coma grade was observed in 2 patients. but 3 patients died without recovery from coma.
The death in 1 of the 3 fatal cases was due to chronic hepatic failure.
PT in the 2 patients whose lives were saved showed recovery progressively at each plasma exchange, but PT in the 3 fatal cases remained below 50% of normal.
It was concluded that measurement of PT is useful for the early diagnosis of acute hepatic failure and that it is essential to perform plasma exchange as quickly as possible once diagnosis is established.