Abstract: Objective To review retrospectively the clinic effect and influence factors of plasma exchange(PE) in treating patients with liver failure. Method Three hundred and fourty-two patients with acute or chronic liver failure were treated with PE. The patients?clinical characterization and the influence factors of PE on efficacy were andyzed. Results One hundred and eighty-eight patients survived(55%). Eighteen cases received liver trasplantation,6 of them survived,122 cases (35.7%) died during hospitalization.Thirteen patients died of variceal bleeding or intracranial haemorrhage after the liver function being improved significantly. Fourteen cases gave up any treatment and nine of them died at home.The efficacy of PE was closely associated with the types and causes of liver failure,the decreasing degree of prothrombin time and serum bilirubin after PE as well as the occurrence of complication(P＜0.01 or ＜0.05). The efficacy of PE was not associated with the therapy frequenay and the volume of substitution fluid. Conclusion PE is an effective and safe therapy for liver failure,but it is only a support therapy for liver failure.

Key words: Liver failure, Efficacy, Prognosis