title: [Choice of renal replacement therapy].
abstract: Renal replacement therapies (RRT) for acute renal failure patients consist of continuous or intermittent methods. Continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) are used in 54% of centers. Determinant for the choice of the continuous versus intermittent method is the clinical status of the patients. Those who are hemodynamically unstable, who receive a large fluid intake, who are anuric, who present with severe and persistent metabolic disorders such as acidosis or hyperkaliemia, and who are in respiratory failure, are preferably treated with CRRT. Once the patient has improved, he can be switched to intermittent RRT (IRRT). Thus CRRT and IRRT are complementary approaches. Dialysis material should be biocompatible; the RRT method used should guarantee stable hemodynamics. Coping with these two requirements reduces the time duration of renal recovery, diminishes the need for catecholamines and may improve the survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Division de néphrologie, Hôpial cantonal universitaire, Genève.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Favre
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003422:Critical Care; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine