[Indications for and the results of continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration (CAVH) in heart surgery patients].

In 326 cardiac surgical patients equal results could be achieved when CAVH was performed either before, during or after extracorporal circulation. Following CAVH improvement of haemodynamic parameters as well as pulmonary function could clearly be shown. This improvement was mainly due to the clearance of all cardiopulmonary toxic substances weighing less than 50.000 daltons. Since the negative inotropic effect of MDF (MW 800 to 1000 daltons) is known to be an important reason for "low cardiac output syndrome" elimination of MDF is one advantageous benefit of CAVH apart from dehydration. By means of bioassays our experiences demonstrated the capability of CAVH to clear MDF to a remarkable degree.