title: Hemodynamic improvement as an additional parameter to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the molecular adsorbent recirculating system in liver failure patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) is an extracorporeal acute liver failure (ALF) support system method using albumin-enriched dialysate to remove albumin-bound toxins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since 1999 we performed 2027 MARS treatments in 191 patients: 39 fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), 16 primary nonfunction (PNF), 21 delayed function (DF), 94 acute-on-chronic liver failure (AoCHF), 7 post-hepatic resection, and 14 intractable pruritus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We divided the complications by the AoCHF versus the ALF populations. Among 83 ALF patients, we observed worsening of hemodynamic parameters in 16 patients: 3 with PNF, 2 with DF without retransplantation, 9 with FHF, and 2 after hepatic resection. Among 94 AoCHF patients, 42 showed hemodynamic instability requiring intensive care unit support. Our study did not note significant adverse effects (1.8%), except for infections and hemorrhage from the central venous catheter not due to MARS treatment. The thrombocytopenia was controlled through administration of platelets before the start of treatment when a patient showed a level under 30,000 mm(3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirmed that nonbiological hepatic support by MARS was safe and tolerable.
authors.affiliation: Scienze Anestesiologiche, Medicina Critica e Terapia del Dolore, La Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Levi Sandri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Folco
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruberto
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Berloco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D016060:Sorption Detoxification / Q000379:methods*; D014655:Vascular Resistance
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine