SLOW HEMODIALYSIS PERFORMED DURING THE DAY IN MANAGING RENAL-FAILURE IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS

Slow hemodialysis (HD) was performed for 10 h during the day in 11 cri tically ill patients with renal failure. The dialysis method was a mod ification of the pump-driven continuous venovenous HD. A nonsterile bi carbonate-containing hemodialysate was passed into the EVAL membrane d ialyzer at a flow rate of 30 ml/min. No patient developed further hemo dynamic instability during the treatment. The serum urea level was mai ntained below 20 mmol/l within 4 days of initiating the treatment. It allowed the patients to rest without interruption at night. This metho d was safely conducted by general nursing staff under the supervision of nephrologists on duty during the day. This schedule offers an appro ach to renal replacement therapy for hemodynamically unstable patients without any potential problem in the extracorporeal circulation at ni ght.