Therapeutic effects of plasma exchange for the treatment of 39 patients with acute fatty liver of pregnancy.

Aim: Analysis of the efficacy and timing of plasma exchange (PE) in the treatment of acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP).

Methods: The clinical data of 39 cases of AFLP treated with PE from September 2004 to March 2011 include symptoms, physical signs, adverse effects, and all relevant laboratory test results before and after PE.

Results: (1) Adverse reactions during PE were generally mild and tolerable, and no patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events; symptoms, physical signs, and liver and kidney functions improved significantly after PE (P<0.05); (2) of the 39 cases treated, 37 were cured, 2 died, with a cure rate of 94.87%; (3) of the 37 cases cured, the sooner a patient received PE the faster the recovery and the fewer number of PEs needed for a complete recovery (P<0.01).

Conclusion: Treatment of AFLP by PE is safe and effective, and timely application of PE in the early phase of the disease can effectively halt and reverse the progression of AFLP.