Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration with dialysis (CAVH-D): an alternative to hemodialysis in the mass casualty situation.

Renal failure is a common sequela of mass casualty, particularly when crush injury is involved. Traditional management of renal failure with hemodialysis equipment may be difficult or inaccessible due to lack of electricity and water supply or damage to existing equipment. Furthermore, a sudden new population of renal failure patients may overwhelm an existing dialysis program. The rapid mobilization of traditional hemodialysis equipment may be delayed due to limited supply, manufacturing delays, or inventory shortages. For these reasons, we propose the use of continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration with dialysis (CAVH-D) as an alternative renal support modality for the mass casualty situation.