Dr. Tô Hoàng Dương, Deputy Head of the Intensive Care and Poison Control Department (Hữu Nghị Hospital), stated, “Our department successfully treated a female patient who fell into a coma due to acute liver failure caused by Hepatitis B.”
The patient, Ms. Đ.T.T.H. (female, 43 years old, Hưng Yên), had a history of breast cancer. She was admitted to the hospital’s Required Treatment Department due to fatigue, loss of appetite, and fever.
Diagnosis revealed Hepatitis B with high viral load. The patient received antiviral medication and supportive liver function treatments. However, her condition showed little improvement; liver enzymes elevated, jaundice rapidly progressed, blood clotting disorders arose, and her consciousness declined.
The patient was consulted by the intensive care unit and diagnosed with hepatic coma.
Tests revealed a very high Hepatitis B viral load, reaching billions of viral copies in her blood.
Liver enzyme and bilirubin (the substance causing jaundice) levels were significantly elevated, resulting in the patient’s coma. She also suffered from severe blood clotting disorders, with a high risk of brain and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Acute liver failure is a common complication of acute Hepatitis B. This acute liver failure can lead to blood clotting disorders, causing skin and mucous membrane bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding; especially brain haemorrhage.
Furthermore, high bilirubin levels in acute liver failure can cause coma and potentially death.
The intensive care unit performed four plasmapheresis procedures, using a total of 12 liters of donor plasma.
After each procedure, the patient’s consciousness improved gradually, alertness returned, and fatigue subsided. Jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, and blood clotting disorders showed significant improvement.
Currently, the patient is conscious, eating and drinking orally, and mobile in bed. She will be transferred back to the Required Treatment Department for continued monitoring of liver function and maintenance antiviral treatment.
Plasmapheresis is a blood filtering procedure where the patient’s plasma containing harmful pathogens or toxins is removed and replaced with healthy donor plasma. This helps remove disease-causing factors and support liver function during weakness, allowing the patient’s liver to recover.
“This modern method has been instrumental in treating and saving many patients with acute liver failure caused by hepatitis virus or poisoning at Hữu Nghị Hospital in recent times,” shared Dr. Dương.
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