Extracorporeal blood purification (renal replacement therapy)

The presence of a cytokine storm is recognized as a condition possibly involved in the mechanism for the onset, aggravation and progression of acute encephalitis/encephalopathy. Plasma exchange and slow hemodiafiltration have been used as the means of blood purification to deal with acute encephalitis/encephalopathy. It has been suggested that blood purification can lead to diminution of the cytokine storm, possibly enabling correction of multiple organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). However, additional studies are needed as to the possibility of achieving the diminution of the intracerebral cytokine storm with this approach.