Value of plasma exchange in the treatment of patients with severe liver disease in pregnancy

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect and safety of plasma exchange in the treatment of patients with severe liver disease in pregnancy. Methods Clinical data of 28 patients with severe liver disease in pregnancy in Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from March 2009 to October 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the therapeutic schedule, the patients were divided into treatment group (n=12, age range:21 to 28 years old, median age:25 years old) and control group (n=16, age range:18 to 29 years old, median age:24 years old). The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the ethical committee approval was received. All patients were transferred to SICU after childbirth and received treatments of anti-infection, anti-virus, liver protection, reducing jaundice, supplying human albumin and gamma globulin, infusing blood coagulation and so on. And patients in treatment group received the treatment of exchange of homotype fresh plasma on the basic of the above treatments. The differences between 2 groups in clinical examination indicators and therapeutic effect were compared. The adverse reactions after plasma exchange in treatment group were observed. The examination indicators of 2 groups were compared using t test and the ratios were compared using Chi-square test. Results The blood total bilirubin (TB), albumin (ALB) , serum creatinine (Scr), fasting blood glucose (FPG) , prothrombin time activity (PTA) and arterial lactic acid (Lac) were (197±69)μmol/L, (30±7)g/L, (111±42)μmol/L, (5.7±2.4)mmol/L, (55±24)%, (2.3±0.6)mmol/L respectively in treatment group and were (299±113)μmol/L, (24±6)g/L, (165±82)μmol/L, (3.7±1.7)mmol/L, (33±11)%, (4.4±1.5)mmol/L respectively in control group. The indicators in treatment group were significantly improved compared with those in control group (t=-3.453, 2.389, -4.892, 2.798, 6.079, -3.339; P<0.05). The effective rate in treatment group (92%,11/12) was significantly higher than that in control group (56%,9/16) ( χ2=4.215, P<0.05). One case in treatment group suffered transitional hypotension after plasma infusion and the blood pressure returned to normal 1 h later after giving a small dose of vasoactive drugs. Conclusions Plasma exchange can improve the clinical examination indicators and therapeutic effect of patients with severe liver disease in pregnancy. It is a safe and effective treatment. Key words: Plasma exchange; Pregnancy; Hepatitis; Fatty liver; Treatment outcome