Background: Septic shock and SIRS are life-threatening diseases with persistent high mortality.Hemoadsorption with CytoSorb ® offers a possible therapeutic approach, but the optimal timing, dosing and indications are still unclear.Methods: Observational data from 70 patients with septic shock or SIRS, treated in a university hospital with hemoadsorption by CytoSorb ® in addition to renal replacement therapy were analyzed retrospectively. Physiologic parameters and clinical outcomes were extracted from the electronic charts. The predicted mortality was calculated based on APACHE II and SOFA scores and compared with the actual 28-day survival. The total amount of blood puri ed was correlated with outcome.Results: The main origins of septic shock were abdominal (n=29) or pulmonary (n=22). The mean age was 70.6±13.3 years. Hemoadsorption was applied for 85.6±53.8h with 3.2±1.7 cycles lasting 26.75±11.1h each. The severity was characterized by a mean APACHE II score of 30.2±6.3 and SOFA score of 13.8±3.5, which calculated to a predicted mortality of 73.3% and 62.1%, respectively. The observed mortality was signi cantly lower (35/70 patients (50%), p<0.05). Interleukin-6 levels at baseline were high (survivors: 7964±11242pg/ml; nonsurvivors: 8.755±15.800pg/ml, p=0.27) and decreased rapidly within 4-24h. Survival was independently associated with lower IL-6 levels and norepinephrine dosage after 24h. An increase in IL-6 after 48h was predictive of poor outcome.The treatment duration and amount of blood puri ed was higher in survivors than in non-survivors (8.47±4.42 vs. 6.07±3.57l/kg BW, p=0.017). We identi ed 3 clusters of <6l/kg, 6-13l/kg and ≥13l/kg BW with a linear dose-response relation between blood puri cation volume and survival. Although the predicted mortality was comparable among the clusters (p=ns), survival was best in the highest volume cluster (16.7%; p=0.045).Conclusions: The application of CytoSorb ® seems to be safe and effective in various conditions of septic shock and SIRS, although the optimal duration and dosing remain unclear. In a cohort of severely ill patients the observed mortality rate was lower than predicted and decreased linearly with blood puri cation volumes exceeding 6l/kg BW. These results suggest that hemoadsorption with CytoSorb ® improves survival in septic shock or SIRS, provided that the applied dose is high enough.

The “normal” immune response to an insult triggers a highly regulated response determined by the interaction of various immunocompetent cells with pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Under pathologic conditions, the massive elevation of cytokine levels (“cytokine storm”) could not be controlled until the recent development of hemoadsorption devices that are able to extract a variety of different DAMPs, PAMPs, and metabolic products from the blood. CytoSorb® has been approved for adjunctive sepsis therapy since 2011. This review aims to summarize theoretical knowledge, in vitro results, and clinical findings to provide the clinician with pragmatic guidance for daily practice. English-language and peer-reviewed literature identified by a selective literature search in PubMed and published between January 2016 and May 2021 was included. Hemoadsorption can be used successfully as adjunct to a complex therapeutic regimen for various conditions. To the contrary, this nonspecific intervention may potentially worsen patient outcomes in complex immunological processes. CytoSorb® therapy appears to be safe and useful in various diseases (e.g., rhabdomyolysis, liver failure, or intoxications) as well as in septic shock or cytokine release syndrome, although a conclusive assessment of treatment benefit is not possible and no survival benefit has yet been demonstrated in randomized controlled trials.

Background. Sepsis and septic shock are still life-threatening diseases with a high mortality rate. We report a complex case of peritonitis with pericarditis and acute liver failure caused by septic shock. Potentially hepatotoxic antibiotic therapy levels were monitored using the liver maximum capacity (LiMAx®) test, and standard treatment was supplemented by adjunctive hemoadsorption with CytoSorb®. Case Presentation. The case features a 29-year-old woman with a history of Crohn’s disease and cachexia. Peritonitis caused by Enterococcus faecium was diagnosed later due to an ileum perforation. The hematogenic spread led to pericarditis. In addition, sepsis-related acute liver failure complicated antimicrobial therapy further. The combination of standard therapy, anti-infective medication, and blood purification was associated with inflammation control, hemodynamic stabilization, and a concomitant decrease in vasopressor support. An efficient, sustained reduction in plasma bilirubin levels was achieved while maintaining liver function. Conclusions. This case shows how complex infectious diseases with an atypical infectious focus resulting in septic shock can be successfully treated. A combination of antimicrobial (tigecycline and caspofungin) and long-term adjunctive hemoadsorption therapy was administered while hepatotoxic antibiotic medication was monitored by liver function testing.

No abstract

Background. Sepsis-treatment is one of the major challenges in our time. Especially fungal infections play an important role in patient’s morbidity and mortality. In patients with septic shock, liver function is often significantly impaired and therefore also hepatic drug metabolism is altered. Case Presentation. We report about a 56-year-old man suffering from invasive fungal infection with multiorgan failure, after complicated medical history due to symptomatic infrarenal aortic aneurysm. On the first postoperative day, a CT scan was undertaken due to massive back pain showing renal infarction on both sides. As qualitative and quantitative renal function was impaired, hemodialysis was started immediately. Subsequently, the patient developed a compartment syndrome of the left leg and underwent fasciotomy. On admission day 7, the patient presented with hematochezia leading to colonoscopy. During this procedure, an ischemic colitis was observed. As conservative treatment failed, the patient underwent Hartmann’s procedure due to progredient ischemia followed by a worsening of the clinical status due to sepsis. The patient suffered from an invasive fungal infection with Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. Systemic antifungal treatment was initiated. Although azoles are considered first-line treatment in these cases we chose the echinocandin caspofungin for its presumed lower impact on liver function compared to azoles like voriconazole or Amphothericin B. However, caspofungin is also metabolised in the liver and can cause hepatotoxic effects. Therefore we measured metabolic liver function capacity using LiMAx®and adapted the patient’s dose of caspofungin to the evaluated liver function capacity to achieve an effective and liver-protective level of the active drug. After complicated medical history with 15 weeks of hospital stay, the patient was discharged in general good condition. Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first report that relates antimycotic drug dosing to a functional liver test. We provide a new approach for sepsis treatment considering liver function capacity to optimize dosage of hepatically metabolised drugs with potential hepatotoxic effects.