Therapeutic strategy of CRRT for AKI

Issues related to the current state

Abstract

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) plays a crucial role in the treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring in an ICU. Many clinical researchers who have examined CRRT treatment settings and CRRT initiation timing have provided verifiable results, but some critical issues remain unresolved. This article presents a review of the evidence reported to date related to 1) advantages of CRRT against intermitted dialysis, 2) early initiation, 3) optimal therapeutic dose and its evaluation, and 4) hemofilter selection. Moreover, discussion of this topic, which demands further clinical investigation, is presented. Determining the best CRRT treatment settings and CRRT initiation timing depends on the condition of each AKI patient. Nevertheless, such choices should always be based on evidence. Further investigation must be conducted to establish new evidence related to these issues, which has been evaluated only insufficiently in clinical research to date.