Continuous Hemofiltration in the Treatment of Acute Renal Failure

Acute renal failure that requires renal-replacement therapy is a relatively common condition, with an annual incidence of at least 30 cases per 1 million population.1 Historically, the replacement of renal function in acute renal failure has involved techniques also employed in the treatment of end-stage chronic renal failure — intermittent hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.2,3 Hemofiltration was first described in 1977 as a means of removing extracellular fluid from patients with edema refractory to diuretic agents.4 Continuous hemofiltration, combined with the administration of an appropriate fluid, is now recognized as a form of renal-replacement therapy in acute renal failure. The . . .