FAVORABLE EFFECT OF NEW ARTIFICIAL LIVER SUPPORT ON SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH FULMINANT HEPATIC-FAILURE

The two most serious symptoms of fulminant hepatic failure are bleedin g and hepatic coma. To overcome these problems, we developed an artifi cial liver support system comprising a combination of plasma exchange and hemodiafiltration using a high performance membrane. We treated 67 patients with fulminant hepatic failure. Of these, 65 patients (97.0% ) regained normal consciousness, and 55 patients (80.9%) were kept ale rt as long as we continued to apply this system. All 7 patients (100%) with fulminant hepatitis caused by hepatitis A virus infection and 9 of 12 patients (75%) with fulminant hepatitis caused by acute hepatiti s B (HB) virus infection survived. In addition, 7 of 15 HB virus carri ers (46.7%) who developed fulminant hepatitis and 11 of 29 patients (3 7.9%) with fulminant hepatitis caused by non-A, non-B hepatitis viruse s survived. The overall survival rate was 37 of 67 patients (55.2%). O ur artificial liver support system allows as high a survival rate as l iver transplantation.