[Treatment of 10 cases of multiple organ failure]

From 1985 to 1987, 10 cases of multiple organ failure (MOF) caused by severe infection, major surgery, and trauma were treated in our hospital. The sequence of the organs that came to a failure varied with different diseases. The diagnosis was made on the objective index and numbers of the failed organs. All patients were monitored and treated with modern medical equipment including hemodialysis, plasma-exchanging technique, and artificial heart-lung machine. It was found that the increase of curative rate lay on the intensive care and comprehensive treatment. Five patients in this group survived, and the diagnosis of MOF was finally confirmed by autopsy (heart, lung, liver, kidney, brain, and GI tract) in three cases. Based on the pathological findings, the authors suggested that patients with MOF could only be cured when the disease was on its first, second, or early third stage.