Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Practice Research Articles

Attention should be paid to the application of net ultrafiltration rate in continuous renal replacement therapy for critically ill patients

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) plays a crucial role in the volume management for critically ill patients. Net ultrafiltration (NUF) rate, as an important therapeutic parameter of CRRT, has received widespread attention for its individualized prescription and functionin volume management of critically ill patients. The aim of this article is to identify the relationship between NUF rate settings and the prognosis of critically ill patients in the clinical practice of CRRT, determine the optimal therapeutic range of NUF rate, and thus improve the effect of CRRT volume management, and provide insights into to future NUF rate studies.

Retrospective assesment of continuous renal replacement therapy practice in medical intensive care unit

Retrospective assesment of continuous renal replacement therapy practice in medical intensive care unit

Worldwide Exploration of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative in Kidney Disease (WE-ROCK)

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is used for the symptomatic management of acute kidney injury (AKI) and fluid overload (FO). Contemporary reports on pediatric CRRT are small and single center in design. Large international studies evaluating CRRT practice and outcomes are lacking. Herein, we describe the design of a multinational collaborative. The Worldwide Exploration of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative in Kidney Disease (WE-ROCK) is an international collaborative of pediatric specialists whose mission is to improve short- and long-term outcomes of children treated with CRRT. The aims of this multicenter retrospective study are to describe the epidemiology, liberation patterns, association of fluid balance and timing of CRRT initiation, and CRRT prescription with outcomes. We included children (n= 996, 0-25 years) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and treated with CRRT for AKI or FO at 32 centers (in 7 countries) from 2018 to 2021. Demographics and clinical characteristics before CRRT initiation, during the first 7 days of both CRRT, and liberation were collected. Outcomes include the following: (i) major adverse kidney events at 90 days (mortality, dialysis dependence, and persistent kidney dysfunction), and (ii) functional outcomes (functional stats scale). The retrospective WE-ROCK study represents the largest international registry of children receiving CRRT for AKI or FO. It will serve as a broad and invaluable resource for the field of pediatric critical care nephrology that will improve our understanding of practice heterogeneity and the association of CRRT with clinical and patient-centered outcomes. This will generate preliminary data for future interventional trials in this area.

Characteristics of pediatric continuous renal replacement therapies in hospitals with pediatric intensive care units in Japan.

Information on the implementation of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) is limited. We investigated the real-world practice of this therapy in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 26 hospitals with PICUs in Japan. One physician per hospital responded to the questionnaire. Fewer than half of the hospitals followed the CRRT practice guidelines; treatment options were often selected at a physician's discretion. PICUs varied widely in continuous renal replacement settings, circuit priming methods, frequency of circuit exchange, and policies for using CRRT in sepsis. Only two anticoagulants were used: nafamostat mesylate and unfractionated heparin. Most units did not change the nutritional dosage according to CRRT use. Many facilities were proactive concerning rehabilitation. Nafamostat-centered anticoagulation management was unique to Japan. Our results may help identify areas where additional clinical studies are needed to standardize CRRT practice.

CRRT in developing world.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has become a mainstay therapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) and its utilization continues to increase in developed countries. The wide variations of CRRT practice, however, are evident in developing countries while clinicians in these resource-limited countries encounter various barriers such as a limited number of nephrologists and trained staff, a gap of knowledge, machine unavailability, cultural and socioeconomic aspects, high-cost therapy without reimbursement, and administrative as well as governmental barriers. In this article, we demonstrate the situation of CRRT and discuss the barriers of CRRT in a resource-limited setting. We also discuss the strategies to improve CRRT practice. These recommendations can serve as a fundamental guideline for clinicians to implement CRRT in low-resource settings.

Improving the quality of care for patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the preferred extracorporeal kidney support therapy employed to support critically ill patients with acute or chronic kidney dysfunction in intensive care units. Significant heterogeneity in CRRT practice exists in part due to variable logistics, resources, and scarcity of evidence-based CRRT practices. Importantly, homogenization of practice patterns by developing substantial evidence and effective dissemination among providers is essential for optimizing CRRT practices. The emphasis on quality of CRRT delivery has prompted identification of potential quality indicators, development of multifaceted quality improvement initiatives, effective computer science utilization, and a surge of multidisciplinary quality assurance teams that advocate for "best" CRRT practices. This manuscript provides an overview of quality improvement methodologies and reviews candidate quality indicators of CRRT and the impact of quality improvement on enhancing CRRT delivery practices.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Dosing in Critically Ill Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Clinical practice guidelines recommend delivering a continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) dose of 20 to 25mL/kg/h. However, practice patterns nationwide are highly variable; this inconsistent prescribing may lead to errors in medication dosing and increase rates of electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities. We describe an initiative to standardize CRRT practice patterns and reduce dosing variability. Quality improvement study. Adult patients treated with CRRT at the University of Colorado Hospital between January 2016 and October2017. An assessment of the magnitude of the variability in CRRT dosing and the following specific interventions were implemented during the course of 1 year: (1) modification of the electronic medical record (EMR) to include calculated average 24-hour dose in real time, (2) modification of the CRRT procedure note to include comments on dosing, (3) modification of the CRRT order set to display calculations, and (4) yearly educational sessions for renal fellows outlining CRRT-specific dosing targets. The primary outcome was weekly percentage of CRRT treatments with an average delivered daily dose of 20 to 25mL/kg/h. Process and balancing outcomes included CRRT flowsheet accuracy, documentation of rates of delivered dose, and nursing satisfaction. Rates of weekly CRRT dosing in compliance with national guidelines were determined and used to create run charts showing compliance rates before and after the quality improvement interventions. Among 837 treatments before the intervention, 279 (33%) daily CRRT sessions achieved an average dose of 20 to 25mL/kg/h. Following implementation of interventions, 631 of 952 (66%) treatments achieved this goal. Week-to-week variation in dosing was significantly reduced. A single-center study generating data that may not be generalizable to institutions with different CRRT nursing models or different EMR systems. Changes to the EMR and documentation templates and education of CRRT providers about dosing were associated with doubling of the rate of appropriate CRRT dosing and reduction in dosing variability.

Continuous renal replacement therapy in Iran; current practice, indications and outcomes in hemodynamically unstable patients

Introduction: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the gold standard renal replacement therapy (RRT) for hemodynamically unstable patients. Objectives: To study the characteristics and survival of patients undergoing CRRT in Iran. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted on 58 patients indicated for CRRT at the Shahid-Modarres hospital of Tehran during 2016-2017. Gender, age, underlying diseases, comorbidities, history of surgery, dialysis indication, and survival were gathered by reviewing patients’ medical records. The data was analyzed in SPSS version 21. Results: Sepsis constituted the most common underlying condition at admission. Overall, continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD) was performed in 72.4% of the patients. Diabetes and hypertension were the most common causes leading to RRT. The most common indication for CRRT was unstable hemodynamic condition. The patients were most frequently referred from ICU (34.5%), emergency department (20.7%), and CCU (15.5%). Conclusion: We here reviewed the characteristics of hemodynamically unstable patients undergoing CRRT. Our findings can help to understand the most important indications for CRRT and to standardize CRRT practice in Iran.

Practice of Extracorporeal Therapies for Septic Acute Kidney Injury Patients in Intensive Care Units in Mainland China

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and other extracorporeal therapies for acute kidney injury (AKI) and other organ dysfunction syndromes in critically ill patients are common in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many studies have focused on clinical practice for managing these conditions. However, there are few studies that describe the utilization of extracorporeal therapies, especially CRRT, in patients with sepsis-associated AKI. Summary: Two hundred ICU physicians were included in a survey from February 28, 2017, to March 20, 2017, on the current status of septic AKI and clinical practice in CRRT. According to the responses, 40% of sepsis patients in the ICU had AKI, and 25% required extracorporeal therapies. However, 29% of candidates gave up therapy for medical or nonmedical reasons. Overall survival for sepsis was 60%; among survivors, 80% were dialysis free at discharge. CRRT was the most common modality of extracorporeal therapy in the ICU, and 82% of physicians chose convection as the major clearance mode. The survey showed 30% of physicians saw the removal of inflammatory mediators as the major objective of extracorporeal therapies; however, only 18.5% of physicians considered inflammation as a measure to trigger CRRT. The median treatment duration of CRRT in China was 12 h per day for 5 days. Key Messages: There were some similarities and differences in CRRT practice for septic AKI patients in China and globally. The differences reveal some insights into improving the outcomes of these patients.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Quality Control and Performance Measures.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is one of the most predominant forms of renal replacement therapy (RRT) currently in use now, this therapy being the initial RRT modality in most critically ill patients. However, in general, the quality of CRRT is still suboptimal. The quality of CRRT is affected by many factors, including the optimal prescription and precision delivery, the CRRT providers' professional level, and the CRRT device used. Establishment of a comprehensive quality control system covering all the aspects and procedures of CRRT is essential. Quality measures for structure, process, and outcome of CRRT need to be developed, evaluated, and implemented to ensure the high quality of CRRT. Some CRRT quality improvement methods such as the professional education and specialized team and the application of citrate anticoagulation to extend filter lifespan have been found to be potentially beneficial but need further validation. After all, much work is needed in this field because of the heterogeneity in CRRT practice. More evidence is needed to improve the CRRT quality control system. These are challenges that will need to be addressed in the future.

We Underdose Antibiotics in Patients on CRRT.

Appropriate antibiotic dosing in critically ill, infected, patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is crucial to improve patient outcomes. Severe sepsis and septic shock result in changes in pharmacokinetic parameters, including increased volume of distribution, hypoalbuminemia, and changes in renal and nonrenal clearances. The lack of CRRT standardization, nonrecognition of how CRRT variability affects antibiotic removal, fear of antibiotic toxicity, and limited drug dosing resources all contribute to suboptimal antibiotic therapy. Even when antibiotic CRRT pharmacokinetic studies are available, they are often based on old CRRT methodologies that do not exist in contemporary CRRT practice, resulting in unhelpful/inaccurate dosing recommendations. Application of these older doses in Monte Carlo simulation studies reveals that many of the recommended dosing regimens will never attain pharmacodynamic targets. In this review, using cefepime as an example, we illustrate whether clinicians are likely to achieve pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets when the recommended dosing regimens are prescribed in this patient population. We encourage clinicians to aggressively dose antibiotics with large loading dose and higher maintenance doses to reach the targets.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Children Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: The Present and the Future

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) use has expanded markedly to treat different disorders like hematologic malignancies, immunodeficiency, and inborn errors of metabolism. However, it is commonly associated with complications that limit the benefit of this therapy. Acute renal failure occurs commonly after HSCT and results in increased risk of mortality. In many instances, children post-HSCT develop acute renal insufficiency in the context of other organ failure, necessitating intensive care unit admission for management. Recently, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has emerged as the favored modality of renal replacement therapy in the care of critically ill children who are hemodynamically unstable. Currently, CRRT is being utilized more often in the care of critically ill post- HSCT children to treat renal failure or to prevent fluid overload (FO). FO > 20% has been shown in many studies to be an independent risk of mortality in critically ill children and therefore, many clinicians will initiate this therapy due to FO even without overt renal failure. CRRT may be beneficial in disease processes as acute lung injury due to removal of fluid. CRRT results in improved oxygenation in post-HSCT children with acute lung injury and this improvement is sustained for at least 48 hours after initiation of this therapy. Survival in post-HSCT children requiring this therapy ranges from 17% to 45%, however, long term survival is still poor. This review will discuss current practice of CRRT in children post-HSCT, as well as future directions.

Effect of total parenteral nutrition on the duration of haemofilter circuit

An effective haemofilter circuit is essential for performing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) efficiently and without interruption. Premature clotting is a major problem in the daily practice of CRRT associated with blood loss [1], increased workload and cost implications. Early clotting is related to various factors ranging from bio-incompatibility of the CRRT circuit material, the modality used, ineffective anticoagulation, to site of catheter placement. Shortened haemofilter circuit survival time due to high lipid content in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) has also been described in a case report [2]. We wish to determine whether TPN infusion led to shortening of haemofilter circuit duration.

Continuous renal replacement therapy: A worldwide practice survey

Little information is available regarding current practice in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for the treatment of acute renal failure (ARF) and the possible clinical effect of practice variation. Prospective observational study. A total of 54 intensive care units (ICUs) in 23 countries. A cohort of 1006 ICU patients treated with CRRT for ARF. Collection of demographic, clinical and outcome data. All patients except one were treated with venovenous circuits, most commonly as venovenous hemofiltration (52.8%). Approximately one-third received CRRT without anticoagulation (33.1%). Among patients who received anticoagulation, unfractionated heparin (UFH) was the most common choice (42.9%), followed by sodium citrate (9.9%), nafamostat mesilate (6.1%), and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH; 4.4%). Hypotension related to CRRT occurred in 19% of patients and arrhythmias in 4.3%. Bleeding complications occurred in 3.3% of patients. Treatment with LMWH was associated with a higher incidence of bleeding complications (11.4%) compared to UFH (2.3%, p = 0.0083) and citrate (2.0%, p = 0.029). The median dose of CRRT was 20.4 ml/kg/h. Only 11.7% of patients received a dose of > 35 ml/kg/h. Most (85.5%) survivors recovered to dialysis independence at hospital discharge. Hospital mortality was 63.8%. Multivariable analysis showed that no CRRT-related variables (mode, filter material, drug for anticoagulation, and prescribed dose) predicted hospital mortality. This study supports the notion that, worldwide, CRRT practice is quite variable and not aligned with best evidence.