Continuous venovenous hemofiltration combined with hemoperfusion for toxic epidermal necrolysis: a retrospective cohort study

Aim: The current treatments of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are limited to the discontinuation of a suspect medication and supportive measures. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of adding continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) and hemoperfusion (HP) to the conventional treatment for TEN.Methods: TEN patients who were admitted to our center between January 2008 and May 2016 were considered as candidates. The included patients were divided into the CVVH&HP group (n=34) and the conventional group (n=34) according to their accepted therapies during hospital stay.Results: The patients in the conventional group had a significantly reduced 28-day survival proportion compared with patients in the CVVH&HP group (73.5 versus 91.2%, p=.047). The adjusted results demonstrated that the conventional group had a significantly higher risk of 28-day mortality as well. Moreover, patients in the CVVH&HP group were associated with significantly shorter hospital stay, rash, fever, and antibiotic durations. However, the addition of CVVH&HP to conventional treatment did not significantly increase the in-hospital cost.Conclusions: In conclusion, CVVH&HP might be a safe and effective adjuvant therapy for TEN. Further well-designed studies are warranted to obtain robust evidence.