Role of therapeutic plasmapheresis in acute liver failure in paediatric patients: A case series

Paediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is a rare yet severe condition that is associated with high mortality. Apart from liver transplant, no specific therapy exists, particularly in developing countries. Evidence suggests that removal of damage-associated molecular patterns, cytokines, toxins, and other metabolites that accumulate due to impaired liver function can enhance natural recovery. Plasmapheresis can be used to remove these products; however, there is limited evidence to support this approach. This case series discusses three critically ill patients with acute liver failure who underwent plasmapheresis. The patients included a seven-year-old boy (Case 1), a 17-year-old boy (Case 2), and a 16-month-old boy (Case 3). Two patients showed significant improvement in bilirubin level, coagulation profile, inotropes requirement, and Glasgow coma scale score. Unfortunately, one patient with PALF, complicated with multi-organ dysfunction, died due to refractory shock on the fourth day of hospitalisation. Our findings illustrate that early use of therapeutic plasmapheresis in PALF can lead to improvement in clinical outcome. It may serve as a bridging therapy for liver transplant and for the spontaneous regeneration of the patient’s liver.