title: The use of extracorporeal techniques to remove humoral factors in sepsis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether there is sufficient evidence of a benefit of hemofiltration or plasma filtration in sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline search, search of references in articles found in Medline search, literature known to local experts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trials and reports where clinical outcome measures were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically relevant information was presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Studies were grouped according to hemofiltration or plasma filtration and within each of these groups into animal or human studies; then they were graded from case report, through case series, nonrandomized trials, and randomized trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a lack of randomized trials. The available studies show an absence of benefit for hemofiltration. Further studies are needed in plasma filtration.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Paddy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002498:Centrifugation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D006440:Hemofiltration; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines