Plasma Exchange as a Rescue Therapy for Acute Liver Failure

Abstract

Acute Liver Failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition and often necessitates Liver Transplantation (LT). However, LT is not available to most patients in developing countries due to resource constraints. Here, authors presents a case of 30-year-old female with ALF and fulfilled the criteria for LT. The aetiology of ALF could not be diagnosed in her. Due to the lack of LT facilities, she was offered plasma exchange as a therapeutic option, which resulted in improvement in sensorium and Liver Function Tests (LFT) {bilirubin, International Normalised Ratio (INR), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)} over a period of two weeks. She was discharged and was doing well during follow-up. Plasma exchange is a less studied but potential treatment option for ALF when LT is not feasible.

Keywords

• gastroenterology
• hepatitis
• liver function tests