Introductory Chapter

Introductory Chapter: Principles and Methods of Acute Therapies

“…The performance and delivery of CRRT depends on an efficient vascular access (e.g., internal jugular or femoral vein), specifically designed HD machines and high-flux membranes/dialyzers. Synthetic and biocompatible membranes/dialyzers are capable of efficiently removing excess fluids and clearing small and middle-larger-size uremic toxins [3], and some have high adsorptive affinity to proteins, endotoxins, and inflammatory mediators (e.g., cytokines) [4]. Following high convective volume of ultrafiltration, the replacement/substitution solutions, which can be infused before (predilution) or after the dialyzer (postdilution), are sterile physiological fluids [5] that consist of balanced electrolyte solutions of either lactate or bicarbonate base, which resembles the composition of the ultrafiltrate (but without the removed uremic wastes).…”