Effect of Artificial Liver Support System on Survival Time of Severe Hepatitis Patients

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of artificial liver support system (ALSS) in the treatment of liver failure patients. Methods This is a multi-center, controlled, large sample clinic trial. 916 patients with liver failure from 6 hospitals were studied and followed. All the patients received similar pharmacological manipulation according to one and the same protocol but were divided into an ALSS treatment group and a control group without ALSS treatment. The analysis of survival time was computed using the Kaplan-Maier method, and comparison among groups was done using Log-Rank and Breslow test. Results Survival time of acute liver failure patients was prolonged from 4.0 days to 8.0 days. ALSS with many times increased the survival time of acute liver failure patients. In addition, it increased the survival time of the patients in end stage of liver failure. The survival time of end stage patients of the two times ALSS group and the control group was 51.0 days vs 27.0 days. Conclusion ALSS has tendency to prolong the survival time; ALSS has obvious effect on survival time of acute liver failure and prolong their survival time; ALSS can affect the short-term survival time of end stage patients; ALSS times have an obvious effect on survival time of liver patients especially the acute severe hepatitis and chronic severe ones and chronic repeat ones. Multi-ALSS treatment is more effective than the standard medicinal liver care treatment. Multi-ALSS treatment could increase survival time of patients suffering from acute liver failure or middle and end stage liver failure. It is important and necessary to treat these patients with ALSS.