Objective To explore the safety and efficacy of plasma diafiltration (PDF) in the treatment of liver failure. Methods Patients with liver failure requiring artificial liver treatment in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from December 2020 to December 2022 were selected and divided into three groups according to treatment modality: PDF group, double plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS) group and plasma exchange (PE) group. Serum albumin levels and total bilirubin (TB) levels were tested before and after treatments to compare the clearance of these substances among three groups. Adverse events were recorded. Results A total of 88 patients were included, with a total of 179 treatments conducted. Among them, 27 cases in PDF group were treated for 62 times. In PE group, 18 cases were treated for 33 times. In DPMAS group, 43 cases were treated for 84 times. There were no significant differences between the three groups in age, sex, TB, international standardized ratio, albumin, hemoglobin, blood pH value, blood sodium, blood potassium, blood free calcium, or lactate (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the absolute value of TB decrease, percentage of TB decrease, absolute value of albumin change, and percentage of albumin change before and after treatment among the three groups (P>0.05). Transient hypotension occurred in one patient in DPMAS group. There were two and three allergic reactions in PDF and PE groups, respectively. In addition, 2 patients in PE group had hypocalcemia. Conclusions PDF can be safely used in patients with liver failure, and its therapeutic effect on reducing bilirubin is similar to DPMAS and PE groups. Compared with PE, it needs less plasma supplement. As it can provide ultrafiltration, PDF would be helpful in patients with liver failure accompanied by renal insufficiency oliguria.
Objective To investigate the risk factors for hypotension in liver failure patients during double plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS) treatment, providing a theoretical basis for targeted clinical prevention and intervention. Methods Liver failure patients undergoing DPMAS at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between March 2021 and March 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. General data and clinical indicators were compared between the hypotension group and non-hypotension group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for hypotension. Results Of the 403 included patients, 60 (14.89%) developed hypotension, while 343 (85.11%) did not. Univariate analyses showed statistically significant differences between groups in age, sex, body mass index (BMI), albumin, serum sodium, pre-treatment systolic blood pressure, pre-treatment diastolic blood pressure, pre-treatment mean arterial pressure, and intraoperative vasoactive drug use (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that low BMI [odds ratio (OR)=0.712, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.587, 0.863)], low serum sodium [OR=0.715, 95%CI (0.646, 0.792)], and intraoperative vasoactive drug use [OR=11.382, 95%CI (4.438, 29.194)] were independent risk factors for hypotension (P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis combining these three factors yielded an area under the curve of 0.922 [95%CI (0.886, 0.957)] for predicting hypotension incidence. Conclusions Low serum sodium, intraoperative vasoactive drug use, and low BMI are significant risk factors for hypotension during DPMAS therapy. Clinical emphasis should be placed on anticipating and mitigating hypotension to ensure uninterrupted treatment, reduce economic burdens, and improve patient prognosis.