title: Use of saline flush to prevent filter clotting in continuous renal replacement therapy without anticoagulant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to compare filter life between saline flushed and non-saline flushed strategies in critically ill patients at high risk of bleeding who are undergoing CRRT without anticoagulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 121 critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring CRRT in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) and cardiac care unit (CCU) of a tertiary care academic center were included. 78 of them used saline flushed through CRRT circuit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the two groups of treated patients in baseline characteristics, including the extent of coagulopathy and platelet count. Mean circuit survival was 21.2 h for circuits using saline flush and 20.4 h for those using non-saline flush (p = 0.8).The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed no difference in circuit survival time between saline flushed and non-saline flushed groups (p = 0.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of saline flush into pre-filter site of CRRT circuit does not provide any benefit on circuit clotting prevention in high-risk of bleeding patients requiring CRRT without anticoagulant.
authors: Division of Medical and Psychiatric Nursing, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Sirirat
authors: S
authors: Panphanpho
authors: Saowanee
authors: S
authors: Naowapanich
authors: Ranistha
authors: R
authors: Ratanarat
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006440:Hemofiltration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D012965:Sodium Chloride