Table 1 Randomized controlled trials included in the systematic review and network metaanalysis.

From: Efficacy and safety of liver support devices in acute and hyperacute liver failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Study

Country

Population

Aetiology

Intervention (No of patients)

No of sessions

Ancillary hemodialysis (HD)

and use of

anticoagulant

(AC) therapy

Comparator (No of patients)

Age range (mean)

Women (%)

Redeker (1973)

USA

ALF with gr. IV HE

Acute viral hepatitis (100%)

Exchange transfusion (n = 15)

Mean, SD: 1,1 ± 0.35, median: 1, range: 1–2, max: 2

AC: received

Standard medical therapy (n = 13)

16–67 (25.1)

39

O'Grady (1988)

UK

FHF with gr. IV HE

Acetaminophen overdose (AO) (52%), viral hepatitis (40%) drug reaction (8%)

Charcoal hemoperfusion (n = 29)

Median: 2, max: 4

HD: at the physician’s discretion

AC: received

Standard medical therapy (n = 33)

  

Hughes (1994)

UK

FHF with gr. IV HE

AO (60%), viral hepatitis (40%)

BioLogic-DT (n = 5)

Mean: 3.6, median: 4, range: 2–5, max: 5

HD:

in case of renal failure, patients were excluded

AC: not applied (producer’s

suggestion)

Standard medical therapy (n = 5)

19–64 (37.3)

30

Ellis (1996)

UK

ALF

AO (71%), viral hepatitis (21%), drug induced (8%)

ELAD (n = 12)

Continuous

HD: at the physician’s discretion

Standard medical therapy (n = 12)

14–65

50

Mazariegos (1997)

USA

ALF with coma

 

BioLogic-DT (n = 5)

Max. 5

 

Standard medical therapy (n = 1)

35–65 (48.3)

67

Wilkinson (1998)

USA

ALF with gr. III-IV HE

Viral hepatitis (66%) heat stroke (33%)

BioLogic-DT (n = 1)

Mean: 3.6, max: 5

HD:

in case of renal failure, patients were excluded

AC: not applied (producer’s

suggestion)

Standard medical therapy (n = 2)

27–58 (42.7)

33

Ellis (1999)

UK

ALF with gr. II or greater HE

Acute alcoholic hepatitis (100%)

BioLogic-DT (n = 5)

Mean: 2.6, median: 3, range: 1–3, max: 3

HD: at the physician’s discretion

AC: received

Standard medical therapy (n = 5)

36–64

30

Demetriou (2004)

USA and Europe

FHF/SHF with gr. III-IV HE, PNF

Viral hepatitis + AO + other drug induced (49%) indeterminate (37%), PNF (14%)

HepatAssist (n = 85)

Mean: 2.9, range: 1–9

 

Standard medical therapy (n = 86)

10–69 (37)

70

Pollock (2004)

UK

FHF

AO (100%)

MARS (n = 6)

Max. 14

 

Standard medical therapy (n = 6)

  

El Banayosi (2007)

Germany

ALF

Cardiogenic shock after cardiac surgery (100%)

MARS (n = 20)

Range: 1–54

 

Standard medical therapy (n = 20)

 

28

Saliba (2013)

France

ALF

AO (38%), viral hepatitis 14%) autoimmune hepatitis (12%), mushroom induced (8%), unknown (8%), drug reaction (6%), toxic agents (6%), other (9%)

MARS (n = 53)

Median: 1, range: 0–7

HD: at the physician’s discretion

Standard medical therapy (n = 49)

(40.4)

57

Larsen (2016)

Denmark, UK, Finland

ALF with gr. II or greater HE

AO (59%), unknown (21%), toxic agents (9%), viral hepatitis 6%), Budd-Chiari syndrome (1%), other (3%)

High-volume plasma exchange (n = 92)

Mean, SD: 2.4 ± 0,8, max: 3

HD: at the physician’s discretion

AC: received based on local guidelines

Standard medical therapy (n = 90)

33–56

68

  1. Table contains study characteristics of the included trials. Blank cells indicate that the data were not reported in the article. Abbreviations: ALF: acute liver failure, HE: hepatic encephalopathy, HD: hemodialysis, AC: anticoagulant, SD: standard deviation, max: maximum, USA: United States of America, FHF: fulminant hepatic failure, gr.: grade, UK: United Kingdom, AO: acetaminophen overdose, SHF: subfulminant hepatic failure, PNF: primary nonfunction following liver transplantation.