RESUMEN
Mortality rate in multisystem organ failure (MOF) is very high. Acute renal failure is an important part of MOF. In this special feature article I have aimed to streamline the achievements of different studies on continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for a fruitful outcome. For this I have gone for retrospective evaluation of the studies reached through PubMed, internet alert system of different journals, proceedings of conferences on CRRT and personal communication with the experts in this field. I have evaluated the outcome of studies to explore the causes of failure to achieve a positive result and to identify the positive gains of studies. Finally, I have compiled the positive gains to outline a new strategy for future study and greater achievement. The findings of evaluation led to the conclusion that while planning for initiation of CRRT, multiple strategies should be targeted. The strategy should involve early initiation of CRRT guided by new markers of acute kidney injury (AKI), continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) modality, optimum intensity (intensity should be adequate enough to improve hemodynamics within a targeted period), selection of an effective filter membrane. Elderly patients should be studied in a different group. Cardiac patients with AKI should not be studied in the same group along with the patients with sepsis.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has been developed and it has advantages, although the patients receiving CRRT still have a high mortality. This study was designed to compare the clinical characteristics of patients treated with CRRT between survivors and non-survivors. METHODS: From May 1992 to February 2000, continuous venovenous hemofiltration(CVVH) treatment was applied to 51 patients. Underlying disease, duration of CVVH treatment, blood pressure before and after the treatment were reviewed and APACHE III score, number of organ failures, blood pressure at the begining were compared between two groups. RESULTS: The average age was 56.3+/-5.6 years and the mortality was 86.3%(44 patients). The comorbid conditions were sepsis(66.7% of total patients), hepatic failure(33.3%), congestive heart failure(17.6%) and adult respiratory distress syndrome(9.8%). Mean arterial pressure(MAP) at the begining was 66.9+/-9.7 mmHg and MAP 2 hours after the treatment was 59.3+/-1.5 mmHg(p=0.076). APACHE III score was 59.5+/-3.5 in non-survivors and 56.0+/-0.9 in survivors and mean number of organ failures was 2.63+/-.98 in non-survivors and 1.68+/-.34 in survivors, but there was no difference between two groups(p=0.072). MAP at begining was significantly higher in survivors than that of non-survivors(87.86+/-3.15 vs. 63.49+/-7.04)(p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Most of the patients receiving CVVH have more than two organ failures. There were no significant difference in the number of organ failures and APACHE III score between survivor group and non-survivor group. It may be due to underlying disease of patients that MAP at the begining was lower in non-survivors than survivors. APACHE III score would not be a good prognostic predictor.