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Albumin Dialysis (albumin + dialysis)
Selected AbstractsTreatment of Thyrotoxic Crisis With Plasmapheresis and Single Pass Albumin Dialysis: A Case ReportARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 2 2010Sebastian Koball Abstract Thyrotoxic crisis (thyroid storm) is a life-threatening condition. Standard therapy is based on thiamazole, prednisolone, and nonselective beta-blockers. Extracorporeal plasmapheresis is an additional tool for removing circulating thyroxine in patients who do not respond quickly to conventional standard therapy. As thyroxine can be bound by albumin, the aims of the present therapy report were to investigate the potential of extracorporeal single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD) to remove thyroid hormones and to compare it with plasmapheresis. A 68-year-old female with thyrotoxic crisis refractory to conventional therapy underwent two sessions of plasmapheresis without clinical response. For the treatment dose to be increased, the patient was then treated with a modified continuous veno-venous hemodialysis with a dialysate containing 4% of human serum albumin (SPAD) intended to bind and remove thyroxines continuously. In total, the patient received three sessions of plasmapheresis and four SPAD treatments. Thyroxine levels were detected in the patient and in exchanged plasma or albumin dialysate, respectively, to calculate the amount removed. The main finding was that SPAD treatments were tolerated well by the patient. Due to continuous approach, SPAD sessions removed more thyroid hormone than plasmapheresis did, resulting in the improvement of the clinical status of the patient (reduction of heart rate and catecholamine dosage), which enabled bridging the patient to thyroidectomy as the ultimate surgical treatment. This is the first clinical report of the use of albumin dialysis in thyroid storm. SPAD represents a safe and efficient alternative to plasmapheresis as it can be performed continuously in this critical condition. [source] Effective Bilirubin Reduction by Single-Pass Albumin Dialysis in Liver FailureARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 8 2009Ussanee Boonsrirat Abstract Albumin dialysis is widely accepted as a liver-support technique for patients with liver failure. The Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System, the widely accepted albumin dialysis technique, has limited use in developing countries because of its technical difficulties and high cost. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy of the more practical modality, the single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD), in terms of bilirubin reduction, as a marker of albumin-bound toxins removal, as well as the patient outcomes. Twelve acute or acute-on-chronic patients with liver failure who had hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin > 20 mg/dL) were treated with SPAD by using 2% human serum albumin dialysate for 6 h. SPAD treatment significantly improved the levels of total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, urea, and creatinine (P < 0.001 for all parameters). The reduction ratios of these four parameters were 22.9 ± 3.8%, 20.9 ± 5%, 19.0 ± 4.1%, and 27.7 ± 3.2%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between serum ammonia before and after treatment. No significant changes in mean arterial pressures were noted during the maneuver, representing cardiovascular tolerability. No treatment-related complications were found. The 15-day in-hospital survival was 16.7%. However, a subgroup of the patients who had moderate severity showed 100% 15-day-survival rate (2 of 2 patients). In conclusion, SPAD is salutarily effective in reducing bilirubin in patients with liver failure. The procedure is safe and simply set up. [source] Albumin dialysis in cirrhosis with superimposed acute liver injury: possible impact of albumin dialysis on hospitalization costsLIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2003T. Hassanein Abstract Albumin dialysis using the Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of cirrhotic patients with acute decompensation to improve survival as well as reduce associated complications. The present study attempts to analyze the costs involved, and compare it to the benefit as a result of the MARS therapy, thus evaluating its cost-effectiveness. Using the results of a study by Kim et al. (Hepatology 2001) describing the effects of complications on the cost of hospitalization in alcoholic liver disease patients, the expenditure incurred in a group of 11 patients treated with standard medical therapy (five survivors) and a group of 12 patients treated with MARS in addition (11 survivors) (Heemann et al., Hepatology 2002) were analyzed. MARS resulted in a reduction of in-hospital deaths, as well as liver disease-related complications. Both these factors led to a substantial reduction of costs in the MARS group, which was enough to counterbalance the extra costs associated with extra-corporeal therapy. In the control group, the total hospitalization cost per survivor were calculated to be at $35 904. In the MARS group, the overall expenditure per survivor including standard medical therapy plus additional MARS liver support therapy were $32 036 , a saving of nearly $4000 compared to the control group. Therefore, it appears that the benefits of MARS therapy are enough to justify the cost of treatment and safe hospital costs, at least in the described population. However, further studies are needed to confirm these results. [source] Effective Bilirubin Reduction by Single-Pass Albumin Dialysis in Liver FailureARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 8 2009Ussanee Boonsrirat Abstract Albumin dialysis is widely accepted as a liver-support technique for patients with liver failure. The Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System, the widely accepted albumin dialysis technique, has limited use in developing countries because of its technical difficulties and high cost. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy of the more practical modality, the single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD), in terms of bilirubin reduction, as a marker of albumin-bound toxins removal, as well as the patient outcomes. Twelve acute or acute-on-chronic patients with liver failure who had hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin > 20 mg/dL) were treated with SPAD by using 2% human serum albumin dialysate for 6 h. SPAD treatment significantly improved the levels of total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, urea, and creatinine (P < 0.001 for all parameters). The reduction ratios of these four parameters were 22.9 ± 3.8%, 20.9 ± 5%, 19.0 ± 4.1%, and 27.7 ± 3.2%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between serum ammonia before and after treatment. No significant changes in mean arterial pressures were noted during the maneuver, representing cardiovascular tolerability. No treatment-related complications were found. The 15-day in-hospital survival was 16.7%. However, a subgroup of the patients who had moderate severity showed 100% 15-day-survival rate (2 of 2 patients). In conclusion, SPAD is salutarily effective in reducing bilirubin in patients with liver failure. The procedure is safe and simply set up. [source] Albumin dialysis in cirrhosis with superimposed acute liver injury: possible impact of albumin dialysis on hospitalization costsLIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2003T. Hassanein Abstract Albumin dialysis using the Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of cirrhotic patients with acute decompensation to improve survival as well as reduce associated complications. The present study attempts to analyze the costs involved, and compare it to the benefit as a result of the MARS therapy, thus evaluating its cost-effectiveness. Using the results of a study by Kim et al. (Hepatology 2001) describing the effects of complications on the cost of hospitalization in alcoholic liver disease patients, the expenditure incurred in a group of 11 patients treated with standard medical therapy (five survivors) and a group of 12 patients treated with MARS in addition (11 survivors) (Heemann et al., Hepatology 2002) were analyzed. MARS resulted in a reduction of in-hospital deaths, as well as liver disease-related complications. Both these factors led to a substantial reduction of costs in the MARS group, which was enough to counterbalance the extra costs associated with extra-corporeal therapy. In the control group, the total hospitalization cost per survivor were calculated to be at $35 904. In the MARS group, the overall expenditure per survivor including standard medical therapy plus additional MARS liver support therapy were $32 036 , a saving of nearly $4000 compared to the control group. Therefore, it appears that the benefits of MARS therapy are enough to justify the cost of treatment and safe hospital costs, at least in the described population. However, further studies are needed to confirm these results. [source] Treatment of Thyrotoxic Crisis With Plasmapheresis and Single Pass Albumin Dialysis: A Case ReportARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 2 2010Sebastian Koball Abstract Thyrotoxic crisis (thyroid storm) is a life-threatening condition. Standard therapy is based on thiamazole, prednisolone, and nonselective beta-blockers. Extracorporeal plasmapheresis is an additional tool for removing circulating thyroxine in patients who do not respond quickly to conventional standard therapy. As thyroxine can be bound by albumin, the aims of the present therapy report were to investigate the potential of extracorporeal single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD) to remove thyroid hormones and to compare it with plasmapheresis. A 68-year-old female with thyrotoxic crisis refractory to conventional therapy underwent two sessions of plasmapheresis without clinical response. For the treatment dose to be increased, the patient was then treated with a modified continuous veno-venous hemodialysis with a dialysate containing 4% of human serum albumin (SPAD) intended to bind and remove thyroxines continuously. In total, the patient received three sessions of plasmapheresis and four SPAD treatments. Thyroxine levels were detected in the patient and in exchanged plasma or albumin dialysate, respectively, to calculate the amount removed. The main finding was that SPAD treatments were tolerated well by the patient. Due to continuous approach, SPAD sessions removed more thyroid hormone than plasmapheresis did, resulting in the improvement of the clinical status of the patient (reduction of heart rate and catecholamine dosage), which enabled bridging the patient to thyroidectomy as the ultimate surgical treatment. This is the first clinical report of the use of albumin dialysis in thyroid storm. SPAD represents a safe and efficient alternative to plasmapheresis as it can be performed continuously in this critical condition. [source] Effective Bilirubin Reduction by Single-Pass Albumin Dialysis in Liver FailureARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 8 2009Ussanee Boonsrirat Abstract Albumin dialysis is widely accepted as a liver-support technique for patients with liver failure. The Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System, the widely accepted albumin dialysis technique, has limited use in developing countries because of its technical difficulties and high cost. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy of the more practical modality, the single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD), in terms of bilirubin reduction, as a marker of albumin-bound toxins removal, as well as the patient outcomes. Twelve acute or acute-on-chronic patients with liver failure who had hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin > 20 mg/dL) were treated with SPAD by using 2% human serum albumin dialysate for 6 h. SPAD treatment significantly improved the levels of total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, urea, and creatinine (P < 0.001 for all parameters). The reduction ratios of these four parameters were 22.9 ± 3.8%, 20.9 ± 5%, 19.0 ± 4.1%, and 27.7 ± 3.2%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between serum ammonia before and after treatment. No significant changes in mean arterial pressures were noted during the maneuver, representing cardiovascular tolerability. No treatment-related complications were found. The 15-day in-hospital survival was 16.7%. However, a subgroup of the patients who had moderate severity showed 100% 15-day-survival rate (2 of 2 patients). In conclusion, SPAD is salutarily effective in reducing bilirubin in patients with liver failure. The procedure is safe and simply set up. [source] |