Hemofiltration was used in six critically ill infants including three neonates, with diuretic resistant anuria complicated by severe overhydration with/without hyperkalemia. Severe hypoxia was associated with 3 patients and hypercapnea with 2. All of them were in a state of shock or cardiac arrest, so peritoneal dyalysis was ineffective in these patients. Despite these grave conditions, marked clinical and hemodynamic improvement was noted in three out of the six patients with one surviving to be discharged from the hospital, Hemofiltration is a useful method for controlling body fluids in the overhydrated or hyperkalemic patient in whom peritoneal dialysis is ineffective. Marked improvement in blood gas was noted in hypoxic or hypercapneic patients. But obstruction of dialyzer or root by clotting was noted in 3 and hemorrhagic tendency in one. It may be a serious problem to establish anticoagulant therapy in hemofiltration.
