Hemoperfusion in acute intoxication. Clinical experience with 48 cases.

Hemoperfusion was performed on 58 occasions to treat 48 patients with severe intoxication, of which 23 had taken on overdose of barbiturate or meprobamate. With one exception they all showed remarkable improvement during the treatment. In addition in many other intoxications patients greatly benefited from hemoperfusion, as with salicylate, paracetamol, quinidine, propranolol and mushroom intoxications. Hemoperfusion was of doubtful value or ineffective in intoxications due to tricyclic antidepressants, phenothiazine, digoxin and methanol. Four of the patients (7%) died. More side effects are seen during hemoperfusion than during hemodialysis. The disposable supplies of hemoperfusion are more costly than those for hemodialysis. Therefore if both kinds of treatment are equally effective, one has to prefer hemodialysis. Unfortunately intoxications exist, which do not respond to either hemoperfusion or hemodialysis.