Investigation of ulinastatin on protection of organ functions in patients with severe disease

Objective To study the mechanism and protection of ulinastatin on organ functions in patients with severe disease.Methods Sixty patients in the intensive care unit(ICU)from October 2005 to July 2007 were randomly divided into a control group and an ulinastatin treatment group(each 30 cases).The patients in the control group received the conventional therapy,and the cases in the other treatment group accepted ulinastatin and conventional therapy.According to the disease situations,ulinastatin was administered 200-400 kU once,2-4 times a day,sequentially for 5-7 days.On the day of admission and 3, 5,and 7 days after admission in ICU respectively,blood samples were obtained for measuring alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),creatinine(Cr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN), activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),fibrinogen(FIB)and oxygenation index(PaO_2/FiO_2); whether breathing machine or hematodialysis was used and the end results were recorded.Results The rate of usage of breathing machine(23.3%),the incidences of hepatosis(3.3%)and renal dysfunction(10.0%) and fatality(3.3%)in ulinastatin treatment group were obviously lower than those of the control group (63.3%,23.3%,46.7%,10.0%,P0.05 or P0.01).Amelioration level of each index in the ulinastatin treatment group was better than that of the control group,at the time points of 5th and 7th day,there were statistical significant differences between the two groups in AST,BUN,Cr and PaO_2/FiO_2(P0.05 or P0.01),however,there were no noticeable differences in ALT,APTT,FIB(all P0.05).Only one patient received bematodialysis in control group.Conclusion Ulinastatin can protect liver,renal and lung functions markedly and lower the incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and mortality in patients with severe disease.