Copyright
©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2014; 20(25): 8011-8017
Published online Jul 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i25.8011
Published online Jul 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i25.8011
Extracorporeal liver support in severe alcoholic hepatitis
Albert Parés, Antoni Mas, Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERehd, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Author contributions: Parés A and Mas A reviewed and published data on therapy of alcoholic hepatitis and the effects of extracorporeal liver support in these patients, performed previous studies with this therapy, and wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Albert Parés, MD, Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERehd, C/ Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. pares@ub.edu
Telephone: +34-93-2275753 Fax: +34-93-2271779
Received: November 1, 2013
Revised: February 27, 2014
Accepted: April 28, 2014
Published online: July 7, 2014
Processing time: 244 Days and 13.2 Hours
Revised: February 27, 2014
Accepted: April 28, 2014
Published online: July 7, 2014
Processing time: 244 Days and 13.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The elevated number of proposals reported for more than forty years reveals the lack of efficacy of a particular therapeutic modality for severe alcoholic hepatitis. This review summarizes data regarding the favorable effects of extracorporeal liver support, particularly with respect to the improvement of systemic hemodynamics, hepatic encephalopathy and renal function, thus sustaining that the procedure used alone or in combination with pharmacological therapies may have a role in this clinical condition.