Innovative Therapeutic Device Saves Child in Septic Shock with Multiorgan Failure

A groundbreaking treatment developed at the University of Michigan has successfully saved a young child suffering from severe septic shock and multiple organ failures. The patient, a child with a history of kidney transplant and undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, was admitted to Michigan Medicine’s emergency room with alarming symptoms, including a mass in the abdomen. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with mature B-cell leukemia and started on chemotherapy. Despite initial treatment, he returned with fever, weakness, abdominal pain, and signs of bacterial infection, quickly progressing to septic shock and multi-organ failure.

With survival odds dwindling to just 5%, the medical team faced a critical dilemma. They considered traditional approaches but also contemplated an innovative solution: the use of a recently developed, FDA-approved device called the selective cytopheretic device (SCD). This device, which had been in use in adult and pediatric trials at Michigan, is an autologous immune cell-directed therapy designed to temper hyperinflammation caused by sepsis.

The SCD works by filtering blood through a dialysis machine, which temporarily isolates immune cells and reduces their high activation levels. This process helps calm the body's exaggerated inflammatory response, preventing further tissue damage. The device had never been used in such a critically neutropenic patient, and concerns about lowering white blood cells further made the decision complex.

After obtaining emergency approval from the Institutional Review Board, the team inserted the device into a dialysis circuit. Remarkably, the intervention resulted in the reversal of the child's multiple organ failures, improved blood cell counts, and stabilized vital signs. The child was successfully weaned from ventilatory support, kidney function recovered, and he was eventually discharged home in good health.

This case highlights the potential of innovative extracorporeal immune modulation therapies in treating critical septic conditions that were previously considered nearly hopeless. The successful use of the SCD, despite the child's severe neutropenia, demonstrates the promise of evolving medical technologies in saving lives and improving outcomes in pediatric critical care.

The treatment’s development spanned over two decades, exemplifying persistent innovation and collaboration. Currently, more pediatric cases are benefiting from this technology, with ongoing research and expansion of its clinical use. The case also emphasizes the importance of medical adaptability and the potential for new devices to address urgent clinical needs where traditional methods fall short.

Overall, this pioneering intervention offers hope for patients facing similar life-threatening conditions and marks a significant advance in the management of sepsis and multiorgan failure in children.