Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration in critically ill children with acute renal failure.

Last year, five critically ill children with acute renal failure were treated by continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration. Mean treatment duration was 326 +/- 89 (SD)h, for a total of 1632 h. Mean ultrafiltration rates of 5.4 +/- 1.7 ml/min X m2 achieved mean serum urea levels of 150 +/- 25 mg/dl and a decline of mean prehemofiltration serum creatinine level of 3.5 +/- 3.6 to 2.9 +/- 2.0 mg/dl posthemofiltration. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration allowed adequate parenteral nutrition with a mean caloric intake of 79.6 +/- 9.2 kcal/kg X day. In the four surviving patients, urinary output started between 12 and 42 days after the onset of acute renal failure. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration is a very effective extracorporeal therapeutic system to control azotemia, fluid, and electrolyte balance in critically ill children with acute renal failure and hemodynamic instability.