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Improved Liver Function Following Treatment with an Extracorporeal Liver Assist Device
Author(s) -
Sussman Norman L.,
Kelly James H.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.1993.tb00381.x
Subject(s) - extracorporeal , medicine , liver function , function (biology) , biomedical engineering , surgery , intensive care medicine , biology , evolutionary biology
A 68‐year‐old woman with fulminant hepatic failure of unknown etiology was treated with a bioartificial liver assist device. Prior to treatment, she had a number of clinical and laboratory features that suggested a hopeless outcome. Treatment was associated with a dramatic change in her mental status, and her clinical picture improved progressively during 6 days of continuous therapy. Evidence of recovery of native liver function allowed the discontinuation of treatment, and she continued to improve for a further 3½ days before her demise from septic shock. We propose that a metabolically active liver assist device is a logical and practical method for treating the critical phase of fulminant hepatic failure.