Safety and Efficacy of Extracorporeal Cytokine Hemoadsorption in Septic Shock in Critically Ill Cirrhotics -A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Patients with septic shock would be screened. Following this, patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be screened and randomized to the two treatment groups. Standard criteria will be considered to define refractoriness to fluids. In all patients, baseline endotoxin activity assay and blood and urine sample will be stored for looking at the effect of therapy on these factors. Septic shock would be defined as clinical construct of sepsis with persisting hypotension requiring vasopressors to maintain MAP>=65 mm of Hg and having a serum lactate >2 mmol/L despite adequate volume resuscitation. Patients assigned to the treatment arm and who do not already have access for dialysis will have a standard hemodialysis catheter inserted in one of the femoral veins by the physician. Hemoperfusion will be carried out for one session within 12 hours for all randomized patient using the adsorption columns for Jianfan Biotechnology Co., Zhuhai, China). The hemoperfusion apparatus will be connected in front of the hemodialyzer in series. The procedure would be done for 2 hours without use of heparin with use of normal saline for pipeline flushing. In patients who also require hemodialysis the dialysis would subsequently be continued. Subsequent sessions of therapy would be done for patients (if required).