Critical care : the official journal of the Critical Care Forum
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The optimal choice of modality for acute renal replacement therapy is unclear at present. Diffusive therapy (hemodialysis) removes small solutes mainly, whereas convective therapies (hemofiltration and hemodiafiltration) may also eliminate larger molecules such as myoglobin or cytokines. ⋯ A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials could not find evidence for clinical benefits of either modality. Thus, the decision on renal replacement therapy modality still is based on the clinical status of the individual patient, the expertise of the medical and nursing staff, and local circumstances and availability.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring in patients admitted to the ICU may result in impaired renal function on long-term follow-up after ICU discharge. The damage induced by subclinical or manifest episodes of AKI may, in fact, produce an irreversible loss of a variable amount of renal mass with deleterious effects on overall renal function. ⋯ This may have an important effect on long-term outcomes, including progression to chronic kidney disease. Acute kidney insults should not be considered as isolated episodes but rather a sequence of progressive events that can lead to progressive deterioration of kidney tissue and eventual declines in renal function.