Biofiltration, a new method of short hemodiafiltration: preliminary report.

Four patients previously treated by traditional dialysis (HD, 240 min) were switched to biofiltration (BF, 180-210 min) and followed for twelve months. Before and at the end of this period, clinical and biochemical data were assessed for each patient. Patients treated for 180 min by BF presented no increase in BUN but a significant increase of predialytic phosphorus. The 210 min BF schedule achieved the same pattern of depuration as HD. Acidosis was corrected better in all patients during BF. No hypoxemia and no change of WBC count were observed during BF. Cardiac function, assessed by echocardiography, improved similarly with each session of both methods. BF is a useful alternative treatment procedure for patients with endstage renal failure.