Abstract

It could be a great challenge for a nephrologist to prescribe a renal replacement therapy for a critically ill, hemodynamically unstable pediatric patient. Intermittent hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis frequently fall short of being an optimal renal replacement therapy for such a patient. Continuous hemofiltration is offering new alternatives that can deliver sufficient clearance to meet the needs of a critically ill child. High fluid intake required for total parenteral nutrition and medications can easily be fulfilled by these modalities without compromising the cardivascular system. Of these techniques, continuous veno-venous hemofiltration is superior to continuous arterio-venous hemofiltration because it delivers a consistent ultrafiltration rate dependent on pump-driven blood flow and does not require the insertion of a large-bore catheter into an artery. Thus, various modalities of hemofiltration can offer an alternative to the critically ill child with acute renal failure.

Copyright and license

How to cite

1.
Sakarcan A, Karaböcüoğlu M. Renal replacement therapies for critically ill pediatric patients. Turk J Pediatr 1995; 37: 7-13.