Abstract: Objective To study the clinical significance of continuous blood purification for the treatment of severe viral encephalitis. Methods We recruited 30 children with severe viral encephalitis treated in our hospital and divided them into treatment group (n=15) and control group (n=15). In treatment group, the patients were treated with continuous blood purification at bedside in addition to the routine therapy for encephalitis. Duration of fever, coma and seizures, hospitalization day, NSE (neuron- specific enolase), S100 protein and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were compared between the two groups. t test and X² test were used for the
analyses. Results The duration of fever, coma and seizures, hospitalization day, NSE level, S100 protein level and GOS were statistically different between the two groups (fever: t=2.289, P=0.030; coma: t=3.098, P=0.004; seizures: t=2.348, P=0.026; hospitalization day: t=2.213, P=0.035; NSE: t=2.841, P=0.008; S100 protein: t=2.192, P=0.037; GOS: χ²=4.774, P=0.029). Conclusion Blood purification can improve the prognosis of severe viral encephalitis patients at early stage.

Key words: blood purification, children, severe viral encephalitis