1980 Volume 77 Issue 9 Pages 1397-1402
Seven patients with fulminant hepatic failure were treated by 4.8 liters of plasma exchange using our newly developed device with a plasma separater composed of celluloseacetate hollow fiber. Three out of 7 patients survived, and definite prolongation of survival time was observed in dead cases. However, dead cases failed to recover from coma, and 3 patients fell into ultimate brain death.
Serial determination of prothrombin time, various plasma proteins, blood total bile acids and various amino acids revealed that although prolongation of prothrombin time and deficiency of the plasma protein was corrected largely, elevated blood level of aromatic amino acids was not reduced.
These results suggest that although our plasma exchange therapy effectively assist part of liver function by giving large amount of plasma components, it only limitedly substitutes detoxicating capacity of the liver.