Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration as emergency procedure in severe hyperkalemia.

Severe hyperkalemia due to acute renal failure occurred in a preterm infant of a diabetic mother. Despite infusions of calcium gluconate, sodium bicarbonate, glucose, and insulin, the rapidly increasing serum potassium concentration resulted in ventricular flutter. After cardiac resuscitation, continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration was started for potassium elimination. Within 3 h of extracorporeal renal replacement therapy, serum potassium was lowered from 9.4 to below 7 mEq/l. Because of persisting oliguria continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration was continued for 60 h. The infant was discharged from the hospital at the age of 4 weeks with normal physical and neurological findings.