title: Large volume ultrafiltration for acute decompensated heart failure using standard peripheral intravenous catheters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ultrafiltration for decompensated heart failure has recently generated significant clinical interest with the development of a portable machine that does not require an intensive care or dialysis unit. This case series was designed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of performing large volume ultrafiltration via peripherally inserted standard intravenous (IV) catheters in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure underwent peripheral ultrafiltration (PUF) therapy with peripheral IV catheters. The mean length of time of PUF therapy was 33.3 +/- 20.0 hours with a mean volume removed of 7.0 +/- 4.9 L. All patients experienced a statistically significant mean weight loss of 6.2 +/- 5.0 kg, P = .01. There was no statistically significant change in renal function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report the first successful implementation of ultrafiltration via standard peripheral IV catheters to remove a large volume of fluid over an extended period of time reliably in a small group of patients. The ability to use PUF therapy via peripheral IV catheters will potentially allow this therapy to be implemented more easily in a variety of care settings to treat patients with resistant heart failure.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Thom G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Dahle
authors.forename: Donnevan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: Syed S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Chad C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Olinger
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bunte
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Boyle
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006440:Hemofiltration / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome