[Construction and external validation of a risk prediction model for unplanned interruption during continuous renal replacement therapy].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the independent factors of unplanned interruption during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and construct a risk prediction model, and to verify the clinical application effectiveness of the model. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on critically ill adult patients who received CRRT treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Zhejiang Hospital from January 2021 to August 2022 for model construction. According to whether unplanned weaning occurred, the patients were divided into two groups. The potential influencing factors of unplanned CRRT weaning in the two groups were compared. The independent influencing factors of unplanned CRRT weaning were screened by binary Logistic regression and a risk prediction model was constructed. The goodness of fit of the model was verified by a Hosmer-Lemeshow test and its predictive validity was evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). Then embed the risk prediction model into the hospital's ICU multifunctional electronic medical record system for severe illness, critically ill patients with CRRT admitted to the ICU of Zhejiang Hospital from November 2022 to October 2023 were prospectively analyzed to verify the model's clinical application effect. RESULTS: (1) Model construction and internal validation: a total of 331 critically ill patients with CRRT were included to be retrospectively analyzed. Among them, there were 238 patients in planned interruption group and 93 patients in unplanned interruption group. Compared with the planned interruption group, the unplanned interruption group was shown as a lower proportion of males (80.6% vs. 91.6%) and a higher proportion of chronic diseases (60.2% vs. 41.6%), poor blood purification catheter function (31.2% vs. 6.3%), as a higher platelet count (PLT) before CRRT initiation [×109/L: 137 (101, 187) vs. 109 (74, 160)], lower level of blood flow rate [mL/min: 120 (120, 150) vs. 150 (140, 180)], higher proportion of using pre-dilution (37.6% vs. 23.5%), higher filtration fraction [23.0% (17.5%, 32.9%) vs. 19.1% (15.7%, 22.6%)], and frequency of blood pump stops [times: 19 (14, 21) vs. 9 (6, 13)], the differences of the above 8 factors between the two groups were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that chronic diseases [odds ratio (OR) = 3.063, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.200-7.819], blood purification catheter function (OR = 4.429, 95%CI was 1.270-15.451), blood flow rate (OR = 0.928, 95%CI was 0.900-0.957), and frequency of blood pump stops (OR = 1.339, 95%CI was 1.231-1.457) were the independent factors for the unplanned interruption of CRRT (all P < 0.05). These 4 factors were used to construct a risk prediction model, and ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) predicted by the model was 0.952 (95%CI was 0.930-0.973, P = 0.003 0), with a sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 89.9%, and a maximum value of 1.781 for the Youden index. (2) External validation: prospective inclusion of 110 patients, including 63 planned interruption group and 47 unplanned interruption group. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of the risk prediction model was 0.919 (95%CI was 0.870-0.969, P = 0.004 3), with a sensitivity of 91.5%, a specificity of 79.4%, and a maximum value of the Youden index of 1.709. CONCLUSIONS: The risk prediction model for unplanned interruption during CRRT has a high predictive efficiency, allowing for rapid and real-time identification of the high risk patients, thus providing references for preventative nursing.

Citrate and low-dose heparin combined anticoagulation in pediatric continuous renal replacement therapy.

There remains no optimal anticoagulation protocol for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) in pediatric patients with elevated D-dimer levels. We aimed to assess the effects of different anticoagulation strategies on the risk of CRRT filter clotting in these patients. Pediatric patients undergoing CRRT were retrospectively grouped based on pre-CRRT D-dimer levels and anticoagulant: D-RCA group (normal D-dimer, RCA only, n = 22), D+ RCA group (elevated D-dimer, RCA only, n = 50), and D+ RCA+ systemic heparin anticoagulation (SHA) group (elevated D-dimer, RCA combined with SHA, n = 55). The risk of filter clotting and incidence of bleeding were compared among the groups. Among the groups, the D+ RCA+ SHA group had the longest filter lifespan; further, the incidence of bleeding was not increased by concurrent use of low-dose heparin for anticoagulation. Moreover, concurrent heparin anticoagulation was associated with a decreased risk of filter clotting. Contrastingly, high pre-CRRT hemoglobin and D-dimer levels and post-filter ionized calcium level > 0.4 mmol/L were associated with an increased risk of filter clotting. RCA combined with low-dose heparin anticoagulation could reduce the risk of filter clotting and prolong filter lifespan without increasing the risk of bleeding in patients with elevated D-dimer levels undergoing CRRT.

Standard vs. carbone dioxide adapted kidney replacement therapy in hypercapnic ARDS patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial (BigBIC).

BACKGROUND: Current continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) protocols ignore physiological renal compensation for hypercapnia. This study aimed to explore feasibility, safety, and clinical benefits of pCO2-adapted CKRT for hypercapnic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients with indication for CKRT. METHODS: We enrolled mechanically ventilated hypercapnic ARDS patients (pCO2 > 7.33 kPa) receiving regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) based CKRT in a prospective, randomized-controlled pilot-study across five intensive care units at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to the control group with bicarbonate targeted to 24 mmol/l or pCO2-adapted-CKRT with target bicarbonate corresponding to physiological renal compensation. Study duration was six days. Primary outcome was bicarbonate after 72 h. Secondary endpoints included safety and clinical endpoints. Endpoints were assessed in all patients receiving treatment. RESULTS: From September 2021 to May 2023 40 patients (80% male) were enrolled. 19 patients were randomized to the control group, 21 patients were randomized to pCO2-adapted-CKRT. Five patients were excluded before receiving treatment: three in the control group (consent withdrawal, lack of inclusion criteria fulfillment (n = 2)) and two in the intervention group (lack of inclusion criteria fulfillment, sudden unexpected death) and were therefore not included in the analysis. Median plasma bicarbonate 72 h after randomization was significantly higher in the intervention group (30.70 mmol/l (IQR 29.48; 31.93)) than in the control group (26.40 mmol/l (IQR 25.63; 26.88); p < 0.0001). More patients in the intervention group received lung protective ventilation defined as tidal volume < 8 ml/kg predicted body weight. Thirty-day mortality was 10/16 (63%) in the control group vs. 8/19 (42%) in the intervention group (p = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Tailoring CKRT to physiological renal compensation of respiratory acidosis appears feasible and safe with the potential to improve patient care in hypercapnic ARDS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00026177) on September 9, 2021 and is now closed.

Popliteal venous access for renal replacement therapy in a critically ill patient with central access failure.

A woman in her 80s was admitted to the emergency department with an acute infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and type 2 respiratory failure, culminating in cardiac arrest for 2 min. She was successfully resuscitated, connected to a mechanical ventilator and subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit. Later in her hospital stay, the patient underwent a tracheostomy following prolonged intubation.During this period, she developed septic shock with complications, including acute kidney injury, metabolic acidosis and volume overload. As a result, the nephrologist recommended emergency haemodialysis. Initially, a left femoral haemodialysis catheter was established but had to be withdrawn a few days later due to the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A left internal jugular catheter was then inserted but was removed after 5 days due to another DVT. It was subsequently replaced with a central line for vasopressor support.A Doppler scan revealed a large thrombus in the right internal jugular vein, extending to the area just above the superior vena cava. A similar thrombus was detected in the left internal jugular vein, with weak blood flow observed in both the right and left subclavian veins. Although the subclavian vein flows were deemed adequate, there was unsatisfactory blood flow through the catheter after insertion, rendering it unsuitable for haemodialysis.Due to an earlier central line-related infection, the right femoral site exhibited signs of infection and the presence of a pus pocket, making it unsuitable for haemodialysis access. To address this, the right popliteal vein was chosen for catheterisation using a 20-cm, 12 French catheter, the longest available catheter in the country at the time. The patient was placed in a prone position, and the catheter was smoothly inserted with ultrasound guidance, resulting in good flow. Subsequent haemodialysis sessions were carried out regularly.

Patterns of Multiple Organ Dysfunction and Renal Recovery in Critically Ill Children and Young Adults Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI-D) commonly occurs in the setting of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the modality of choice for AKI-D. Mid-term outcomes of pediatric AKI-D supported with CRRT are unknown. We aimed to describe the pattern and impact of organ dysfunction on renal outcomes in critically ill children and young adults with AKI-D. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Two large quarternary care pediatric hospitals. PATIENTS: Patients 26 y old or younger who received CRRT from 2014 to 2020, excluding patients with chronic kidney disease. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Organ dysfunction was assessed using the Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 (PELOD-2) score. MODS was defined as greater than or equal to two organ dysfunctions. The primary outcome was major adverse kidney events at 30 days (MAKE30) (decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate greater than or equal to 25% from baseline, need for renal replacement therapy, and death). Three hundred seventy-three patients, 50% female, with a median age of 84 mo (interquartile range [IQR] 16-172) were analyzed. PELOD-2 increased from 6 (IQR 3-9) to 9 (IQR 7-12) between ICU admission and CRRT initiation. Ninety-seven percent of patients developed MODS at CRRT start and 266 patients (71%) had MAKE30. Acute kidney injury (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.55 [IQR 2.13-5.90]), neurologic (aOR 2.07 [IQR 1.15-3.74]), hematologic/oncologic dysfunction (aOR 2.27 [IQR 1.32-3.91]) at CRRT start, and progressive MODS (aOR 1.11 [IQR 1.03-1.19]) were independently associated with MAKE30. CONCLUSIONS: Ninety percent of critically ill children and young adults with AKI-D develop MODS by the start of CRRT. Lack of renal recovery is associated with specific extrarenal organ dysfunction and progressive multiple organ dysfunction. Currently available extrarenal organ support strategies, such as therapeutic plasma exchange lung-protective ventilation, and other modifiable risk factors, should be incorporated into clinical trial design when investigating renal recovery.

Renal Replacement Therapy in Cirrhosis: A Contemporary Review.

Acute kidney injury is a common complication of decompensated cirrhosis, frequently requires hospitalization, and carries a high short-term mortality. This population experiences several characteristic types of acute kidney injury: hypovolemic-mediated (prerenal), ischemic/nephrotoxic-mediated (acute-tubular necrosis), and hepatorenal syndrome. Prerenal acute kidney injury is treated with volume resuscitation. Acute-tubular necrosis is treated by optimizing perfusion pressure and discontinuing the offending agent. Hepatorenal syndrome, a unique physiology of decreased effective arterial circulation leading to renal vasoconstriction and ultimately acute kidney injury, is treated with plasma expansion with albumin and splanchnic vasoconstrictors such as terlipressin or norepinephrine. Common acute stressors such as bleeding, infection, and volume depletion often contribute to multifactorial acute kidney injury. Even with optimal medical management, many clinicians are faced with the challenge of initiating renal replacement therapy in these patients. This article reviews the epidemiology, indications, and complex considerations of renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury in decompensated cirrhosis.

Acute kidney injury in acute liver failure: A narrative review.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of acute liver failure (ALF) and it worsens the already worse prognoses of ALF. ALF is an uncommon disease, with varying etiologies and varying definitions in different parts of the world. There is limited literature on the impact of AKI on the outcome of ALF with or without transplantation. The multifaceted etiology of AKI in ALF encompasses factors such as hemodynamic instability, systemic inflammation, sepsis and direct nephrotoxicity. Indications of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for AKI in ALF patients extend beyond the conventional criteria for dialysis and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) may have a role in transplant-free survival or bridge to liver transplantation (LT). LT is a life-saving option for ALF, so despite somewhat lower survival rates of LT in ALF patients with AKI, LT is not usually deferred. In this review, we will discuss the guidelines' recommended definition and classification of AKI in ALF, the impact of AKI in ALF, the pathophysiology of AKI and the role of CRRT and LT in ALF patients with AKI.

Critical care management of acute liver failure.

The management of acute liver failure (ALF) in modern hepatology intensive care units (ICU) has improved patient outcomes. Critical care management of hepatic encephalopathy, cerebral edema, fluid and electrolytes; prevention of infections and organ support are central to improved outcomes of ALF. In particular, the pathogenesis of encephalopathy is multifactorial, with ammonia, elevated intra-cranial pressure and systemic inflammation playing a central role. Although ALF remains associated with high mortality, the availability of supportive care, including organ failure support such as plasma exchange, timely mechanical ventilation or continuous renal replacement therapy, either conservatively manages patients with ALF or offers bridging therapy until liver transplantation. Thus, appropriate critical care management has improved the likelihood of patient recovery in ALF. ICU care interventions such as monitoring of cerebral edema, fluid status assessment and interventions for sepsis prevention, nutritional support and management of electrolytes can salvage a substantial proportion of patients. In this review, we discuss the key aspects of critical care management of ALF.

Factors associated with successful liberation from continuous renal replacement therapy in children and young adults: analysis of the worldwide exploration of renal replacement outcomes collaborative in Kidney Disease Registry.

PURPOSE: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is used for supportive management of acute kidney injury (AKI) and disorders of fluid balance (FB). Little is known about the predictors of successful liberation in children and young adults. We aimed to identify the factors associated with successful CRRT liberation. METHODS: The Worldwide Exploration of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative in Kidney Disease study is an international multicenter retrospective study (32 centers, 7 nations) conducted from 2015 to 2021 in children and young adults (aged 0-25 years) treated with CRRT for AKI or FB disorders. Patients with previous dialysis dependence, tandem extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use, died within the first 72 h of CRRT initiation, and those who never had liberation attempted were excluded. Patients were categorized based on first liberation attempt: reinstituted (resumption of any dialysis within 72 h) vs. success (no receipt of dialysis for ≥ 72 h). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with successful CRRT liberation. RESULTS: A total of 622 patients were included: 287 (46%) had CRRT reinstituted and 335 (54%) were successfully liberated. After adjusting for sepsis at admission and illness severity parameters, several factors were associated with successful liberation, including higher VIS (vasoactive-inotropic score) at CRRT initiation (odds ratio [OR] 1.35 [1.12-1.63]), higher PELOD-2 (pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2) score at CRRT initiation (OR 1.71 [1.24-2.35]), higher urine output prior to CRRT initiation (OR 1.15 [1.001-1.32]), and shorter CRRT duration (OR 0.19 [0.12-0.28]). CONCLUSIONS: Inability to liberate from CRRT was common in this multinational retrospective study. Modifiable and non-modifiable factors were associated with successful liberation. These results may inform the design of future clinical trials to optimize likelihood of CRRT liberation success.

Arteriovenous Access for Hemodialysis: A Review.

Importance: Hemodialysis requires reliable vascular access to the patient's blood circulation, such as an arteriovenous access in the form of an autogenous arteriovenous fistula or nonautogenous arteriovenous graft. This Review addresses key issues associated with the construction and maintenance of hemodialysis arteriovenous access. Observations: All patients with kidney failure should have an individualized strategy (known as Patient Life-Plan, Access Needs, or PLAN) for kidney replacement therapy and dialysis access, including contingency plans for access failure. Patients should be referred for hemodialysis access when their estimated glomerular filtration rate progressively decreases to 15 to 20 mL/min, or when their peritoneal dialysis, kidney transplant, or current vascular access is failing. Patients with chronic kidney disease should limit or avoid vascular procedures that may complicate future arteriovenous access, such as antecubital venipuncture or peripheral insertion of central catheters. Autogenous arteriovenous fistulas require 3 to 6 months to mature, whereas standard arteriovenous grafts can be used 2 to 4 weeks after being established, and "early-cannulation" grafts can be used within 24 to 72 hours of creation. The prime pathologic lesion of flow-related complications of arteriovenous access is intimal hyperplasia within the arteriovenous access that can lead to stenosis, maturation failure (33%-62% at 6 months), or poor patency (60%-63% at 2 years) and suboptimal dialysis. Nonflow complications such as access-related hand ischemia ("steal syndrome"; 1%-8% of patients) and arteriovenous access infection require timely identification and treatment. An arteriovenous access at high risk of hemorrhaging is a surgical emergency. Conclusions and Relevance: The selection, creation, and maintenance of arteriovenous access for hemodialysis vascular access is critical for patients with kidney failure. Generalist clinicians play an important role in protecting current and future arteriovenous access; identifying arteriovenous access complications such as infection, steal syndrome, and high-output cardiac failure; and making timely referrals to facilitate arteriovenous access creation and treatment of arteriovenous access complications.

Hierarchical endpoints in critical care: A post-hoc exploratory analysis of the standard versus accelerated initiation of renal-replacement therapy in acute kidney injury and the intensity of continuous renal-replacement therapy in critically ill patients trials.

PURPOSE: To perform a post-hoc reanalysis of the Standard versus Accelerated Initiation of Renal-Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) and the Intensity of Continuous Renal-Replacement Therapy in Critically Ill Patients (RENAL) trials through hierarchical composite endpoint analysis using win ratio (WR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients with complete information from the STARRT-AKI (which compared accelerated versus standard approaches for renal replacement therapy - RRT initiation) and RENAL (which compared two different RRT doses in critically ill patients) trials were selected. WR was defined as a hierarchical composite endpoint using 90-day mortality, RRT dependency at 90-days, intensive care unit (ICU) length-of-stay (LOS), and hospital LOS (primary analysis); values above the unit represent a benefit of the intervention for the hierarchical composite endpoint. A secondary analysis replacing LOS by days alive and free of RRT was performed. Stratified analyses were performed according to illness severity score, surgical status, and the presence of sepsis. RESULTS: The WR analysis produced 2,141,830 pairs for the STARRT-AKI trial and 536,446 pairs for the RENAL trial, respectively. The WR results for STARRT-AKI and RENAL were 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96-1.13; p = 0.33) and 1.02 (95% CI; 0.90-1.15; p = 0.75) for the primary analysis, and 0.88 (95% CI; 0.79-0.99; p = 0.03) and 1.02 (95% CI; 0.87-1.21; p = 0.77) for the secondary analysis, respectively. The stratified analysis of the primary suggested possible benefit of the accelerated-strategy in the STARRT-AKI trial for non-surgical patients with sepsis, while the secondary analysis suggested possible harm of the accelerated-strategy for surgical patients without sepsis. There was no evidence of heterogeneity in treatment effects in stratified analyses in the RENAL trial. CONCLUSION: WR approach using a hierarchical composite endpoint is feasible for trials in critical care nephrology. The primary re-analyses of the STARRT-AKI and RENAL trials both yielded neutral results; however, there was suggestion of heterogeneity in treatment effect in stratified analyses of the STARRT-AKI trial by surgical status and sepsis. Selection of the endpoints and hierarchical ordering before trial design using the WR approach can have important implications for trial interpretation. TRIAL REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02568722 (STARRT-AKI) and NCT00076219 (RENAL).

CytoSorb® in burn patients with septic shock and Acute Kidney Injury on Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy is associated with improved clinical outcome and survival.

BACKGROUND: In burn patients, septic shock and acute kidney injury (AKI) with use of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) severely increase morbidity and mortality. Sorbent therapies could be an adjunctive therapy to address the underlying metabolic changes in inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines dysregulated production. METHODS: A retrospectively observational study of 35 severe burn patients admitted to the Burn Center (Turin, Italy, from January 2017 to December 2022), who underwent CRRT for AKI-associated septic shock. Out of 35 patients, 11 were treated with CytoSorb® as adjunctive therapy to CRRT (Sorbent group) and 24 patients only with CRRT (Control group). RESULTS: The application of CytoSorb® took place in a very dispersed way. Out of 11 patients, 7 started the CRRT together with the sorbent application. The patients of the sorbent group exhibited a significant reduction in norepinephrine use compared to that of the control group. A clinical improvement over the first 4 days of Cytosorb® was observed in both survivors and no survivors of the sorbent group, with significant norepinephrine decreased use on day 4 compared to day 1. In-hospital mortality was 45.4% and 70.8% in the sorbent and control group, respectively, and significantly better at Kaplan-Meier survival analysis at 270 days (p = 0.0445). In both groups, all survivor patients recovered renal function at discharge, whereas no survivors did not. CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive treatment with CytoSorb® for burn patients with AKI-CRRT and septic shock poorly responsive to standard therapy led to a significant clinical improvement, and was associated with a lower mortality rate compared to CRRT alone.

Initial renal replacement therapy (RRT) modality associates with 90-day postdischarge RRT dependence in critically ill AKI survivors.

PURPOSE: Real-world comparison of RRT modality on RRT dependence at 90 days postdischarge among ICU patients discharged alive after RRT for acute kidney injury (AKI). METHODS: Using claims-linked to US hospital discharge data (Premier PINC AI Healthcare Database [PHD]), we compared continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) vs. intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) for AKI in adult ICU patients discharged alive from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021. RRT dependence at 90 days postdischarge was defined as ≥2 RRT treatments in the last 8 days. Between-group differences were balanced using inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). RESULTS: Of 34,804 patients, 3804 patients (from 382 hospitals) had claims coverage for days 83-90 postdischarge. Compared to IHD-treated patients (n = 2740), CRRT-treated patients (n = 1064) were younger; had more admission to large teaching hospitals, surgery, sepsis, shock, mechanical ventilation, but lower prevalence of comorbidities (p < 0.05 for all). Compared to IHD-treated patients, CRRT-treated patients had lower RRT dependence at hospital discharge (26.5% vs. 29.8%, p = 0.04) and lower RRT dependence at 90 days postdischarge (4.9% vs. 7.4% p = 0.006) with weighted adjusted OR (95% CI): 0.68 (0.47-0.97), p = 0.03. Results persisted in sensitivity analyses including patients who died during days 1-90 postdischarge (n = 112) or excluding patients from hospitals with IHD patients only (n = 335), or when excluding patients who switched RRT modalities (n = 451). CONCLUSIONS: Adjusted for potential confounders, the odds of RRT dependence at 90 days postdischarge among survivors of RRT for AKI was 30% lower for those treated first with CRRT vs. IHD, overall and in several sensitivity analyses. SUMMARY: Critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU) may develop acute kidney injury (AKI) that requires renal replacement therapy (RRT) to temporarily replace the injured kidney function of cleaning the blood. Two main types of RRT in the ICU are called continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), which is performed almost continuously, i.e., for >18 h per day, and intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), which is a more rapid RRT that is usually completed in a little bit over 6 h, several times per week. The slower CRRT may be gentler on the kidneys and is more likely to be used in the sickest patients, who may not be able to tolerate IHD. We conducted a data-analysis study to evaluate whether long-term effects on kidney function (assessed by ongoing need for RRT, i.e., RRT dependence) differ depending on use of CRRT vs. IHD. In a very large US linked hospital-discharge/claims database we found that among ICU patients discharge alive after RRT for AKI, fewer CRRT-treated patients had RRT dependence at hospital discharge (26.5% vs. 29.8%, p = 0.04) and at 90 days after discharge (4.9% vs. 7.4% p = 0.006). In adjusted models, RRT dependence at 90 days postdischarge was >30% lower for CRRT than IHD-treated patients. These results from a non-randomized study suggest that among survivors of RRT for AKI, CRRT may result in less RRT dependence 90 days after hospital discharge.

Global Scientific Trends in Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy from 2000 to 2023: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is one of the most widely used blood purification and organ support methods in the ICU. However, the development process, the current status, hotspots, and future trends of CRRT remain unclear. METHOD: The WoSCC database was used to analyze CRRT research evolution and theme trends. VOSviewer was used to construct coauthorship, co-occurrence, co-citation, and network visualizations. CiteSpace is used to detect bursts for co-occurrence items. Several important subtopics were reviewed and discussed in more detail. RESULTS: Global publications increased from 56 in 2000 to 398 in 2023, a 710.71% increase. Blood Purification published the most manuscripts, followed by the International Journal of Artificial Organs. The USA, the San Bortolo Hospital, and Bellomo were the most productive and impactful institution, country, and author, respectively. Based on co-occurrence cluster analysis, five clusters emerged: (1) clinical applications and management of CRRT; (2) sepsis and CRRT; (3) CRRT anticoagulant management; (4) CRRT and antibiotic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; and (5) comparison of CRRT and intermittent hemodialysis. COVID-19, initiation, ECOMO, cefepime, guidelines, cardiogenic shock, biomarker, and outcome were the latest high-frequency keywords or strongest bursts, indicating the emerging frontiers of CRRT. CONCLUSIONS: There has been widespread publication and citation of CRRT research in the past 2 decades. We provide an overview of current trends, global collaboration patterns, basic knowledge, research hotspots, and emerging frontiers.

Renal replacement therapy initiation strategies in comatose patients with severe acute kidney injury: a secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The effect of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in comatose patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unclear. We compared two RRT initiation strategies on the probability of awakening in comatose patients with severe AKI. METHODS: We conducted a post hoc analysis of a trial comparing two delayed RRT initiation strategies in patients with severe AKI. Patients were monitored until they had oliguria for more than 72 h and/or blood urea nitrogen higher than 112 mg/dL and then randomized to a delayed strategy (RRT initiated after randomization) or a more-delayed one (RRT initiated if complication occurred or when blood urea nitrogen exceeded 140 mg/dL). We included only comatose patients (Richmond Agitation-Sedation scale [RASS] < - 3), irrespective of sedation, at randomization. A multi-state model was built, defining five mutually exclusive states: death, coma (RASS < - 3), incomplete awakening (RASS [- 3; - 2]), awakening (RASS [- 1; + 1] two consecutive days), and agitation (RASS > + 1). Primary outcome was the transition from coma to awakening during 28 days after randomization. RESULTS: A total of 168 comatose patients (90 delayed and 78 more-delayed) underwent randomization. The transition intensity from coma to awakening was lower in the more-delayed group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.36 [0.17-0.78]; p = 0.010). Time spent awake was 10.11 days [8.11-12.15] and 7.63 days [5.57-9.64] in the delayed and the more-delayed groups, respectively. Two sensitivity analyses were performed based on sedation status and sedation practices across centers, yielding comparable results. CONCLUSION: In comatose patients with severe AKI, a more-delayed RRT initiation strategy resulted in a lower chance of transitioning from coma to awakening.

Evaluation of CO2 removal rate of ECCO2R for a renal replacement therapy platform in an experimental setting.

BACKGROUND: A critical parameter of extracorporeal CO2 removal (ECCO2R) applications is the CO2 removal rate (VCO2). Low-flow venovenous extracorporeal support with large-size membrane lung remains undefined. This study aimed to evaluate the VCO2 of a low-flow ECCO2R with large-size membrane lung using a renal replacement therapy platform in an experimental animal model. METHODS: Twelve healthy pigs were placed under mechanical ventilation and connected to an ECCO2R-CRRT system (surface area = 1.8 m2; OMNIset®, BBraun, Germany). Respiratory settings were reduced to induce two degrees of hypercapnia. VCO2 was recorded under different combinations of PaCO2 (50-69 or 70-89 mm Hg), extracorporeal blood flow (ECBF; 200 or 350 mL/min), and gas flow (4, 6, or 10 L/min). RESULTS: VCO2 increased with ECBF at all three gas flow rates. In severe hypercapnia, the increase in sweep gas flow from 4 to 10 L/min increased VCO2 from 86.38 ± 7.08 to 96.50 ± 8.71 mL/min at an ECBF of 350 mL/min, whereas at ECBF of 200 mL/min, any increase was less effective. But in mild hypercapnia, the increase in sweep gas flow result in significantly increased VCO2 at two ECBF. VCO2 increased with PaCO2 from 50-69 to 70-89 mm Hg at an ECBF of 350 mL/min, but not at ECBF of 200 mL/min. Post-membrane lung PCO2 levels were similar for different levels of premembrane lung PCO2 (p = 0.08), highlighting the gas exchange diffusion efficacy of the membrane lung in gas exchange diffusion. In severe hypercapnia, the reduction of PaCO2 elevated from 11.5% to 19.6% with ECBF increase only at a high gas flow of 10 L/min (p < 0.05) and increase of gas flow significantly reduced PaCO2 only at a high ECBF of 350 mL/min (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low-flow venovenous extracorporeal ECCO2R-CRRT with large-size membrane lung is more efficient with the increase of ECBF, sweep gas flow rate, and the degree of hypercapnia. The influence of sweep gas flow on VCO2 depends on the ECBF and degree of hypercapnia. Higher ECBF and gas flow should be chosen to reverse severe hypercapnia.