Use of an AR-1 resin column to reduce bilirubin-level in modified ascitic fluid.

Intractable ascites has been accompanied by significant jaundice in some patients. In such cases, a newly developed synthetic resin, AR-1, has been successfully employed to reduce excess bilirubin from the ascitic fluid. This resin has proved to be excellent compared with XAD-2, XAD-7 and activated charcoal, for removal of bilirubin from the plasma and ascitic fluid in our experiments. A column containing 100 ml of AR-1 is inserted in the drip infusion line between the modified ascitic fluid reservoir in the Autoascit device and the patient. This method has been used in 7 cases of intractable ascites associated with advanced gastric, pancreatic, hepatic, rectal and ovarian cancers. The column has sufficient capacity to adsorb excess bilirubin from the modified ascitic fluid. Other biochemical parameters were eseentially unchanged from pre-column values.