Acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure treated with single-pass albumin dialysis: report of a case.

BACKGROUND: Acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose is a leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF). When patients fulfill the King's College criteria for acetaminophen-induced ALF (AALF), they have a poor prognosis for survival without liver transplantation. Recent advances in artificial liver support have used albumin as a binding and scavenging molecule in ALF. One method, single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD), involves dialyzing blood against an albumin-containing solution across a high-flux membrane to remove albumin-bound toxins. Herein, we describe our protocol for SPAD and report its use in a case of AALF as a bridge to native liver recovery. CASE: A 41-year-old female with no documented history of liver disease presented with acute acetaminophen toxicity and developed hepatic encephalopathy, coagulopathy and lactic acidosis. The patient met King's College criteria for liver transplantation, based on pH and INR, but was deemed not suitable as a candidate due to psychosocial comorbidities. On day 3 of her ICU admission, she received the first of five consecutive daily runs (total ~77 hours) of SPAD. The patient's course was complicated by cerebral edema requiring mannitol. She was extubated on day 11 and transferred to the ward by day 13. At ICU discharge, her liver function (INR 1.9, bilirubin 435 mmol/L) and kidney function were recovering. She did not have any long-term neurological sequelae. By hospital discharge (day 46) her native liver function had recovered with a bilirubin <100mmol/L. CONCLUSION: We describe a case of a patient with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure who was successfully bridged to spontaneous native liver recovery as a result of SPAD treatment. In patients with ALF, SPAD may be an additional intervention for temporary extracorporeal support. Further investigation in larger prospective studies is warranted.

Lysis of intraventricular hematoma with tissue plasminogen activator. Case report.

A 42-year-old woman suffered a severe intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage from a ruptured anterior cerebral artery aneurysm. Evacuation of the frontal hematoma and clipping of the aneurysm was performed but the intraventricular blood clot persisted, causing ventricular dilatation and high intracranial pressure (ICP) 24 hours after surgery despite external ventricular drainage. Over this period of time the patient's clinical condition improved from Grade V to Grade IVb (World Federation of Neurological Surgeons classification). The intraventricular hematoma was lysed with a total of 8 mg recombinant tissue plasminogen activator injected directly into the ventricles on the 1st and 2nd postoperative days, resulting in rapid normalization of ventricular size and ICP. The patient has since made a substantial recovery and has been able to return home.

Continuous arteriovenous hemodialysis: an alternative therapy for acute renal failure associated with critical illness.

Critically ill patients often cannot tolerate conventional hemodialysis because of hemodynamic instability. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration provides control of fluid and electrolyte balance but is inefficient in the management of azotemia. Continuous arteriovenous hemodialysis (CAVHD) combines dialysis with hemofiltration. We performed 15 CAVHD treatments of 2 or more days' duration in 12 critically ill patients aged 23 to 85 (mean 64.4) years who had acute oliguric renal failure as a component of multiple organ system failure and who were unsuitable for conventional hemodialysis. The total treatment time was 106 days. The serum creatinine and urea levels were controlled in all the patients during CAVHD. The ultrafiltrate losses were sufficient to allow appropriate nutrition and fluid administration and still maintain a negative fluid balance. Renal function returned in five patients (42%), of whom four survived to be discharged home. CAVHD is an effective means of managing acute oliguric renal failure in critically ill patients.