Plasmapheresis combined with continuous venovenous hemofiltration in surgical patients with sepsis

Objective: To examine the effect of continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVHF) combined with plasmapheresis (TPE) in critically ill surgical patients after treatment of the septic focus. Design: Observational pilot study. Setting: University teaching hospital intensive care unit. Interventions: TPE and CVVHF were administered 24 h after surgical and/or interventional treatment of septic focus. Arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance values were monitored. We examined the effect of the combined extracorporeal detoxification on outcome related to age, morbidity, organic failure rate, and initial APACHE II score. Measurements and results: Forty-three patients with sepsis were treated; 19 received TPE in combination with CVVHF, and 24 did not receive extracorporeal therapy. Overall mortality was 44.2 %. In the therapy group mortality was lower (42.1 vs. 45.8 %), but the primary organic failure rate was higher. The relationship between mortality and age was similar in the two groups. There was also no difference between the groups in the course of scores on APACHE II, multiple-organ failure, and sepsis severity. Only patients with an initial APACHE II score of 21–25 had a significant reduction in mortality after combined extracorporeal detoxification. Mortality of 17 % in TPE/CVVHF patients with single- (pulmonary) and double-organ failure (renal/pulmonary) was significantly lower (P < 0.0001) than in untreated patients. Conclusions: Reduction in mortality in single- and double-organ failure was as high as 28 % in septic patients with combined extracorporeal detoxification. A prospective randomized trial in sepsis and double-organ failure should be projected.