Renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit

Acute renal failure is a frequent complication in critically ill patients that carries with it considerable morbidity and mortality. The management of renal failure in patients with multi-organ failure is different from that of renal failure that presents as a single organ failure. Intermittent haemodialysis, done in the conventional manner may not be tolerated by most critically ill patients. Continuous renal replacement therapy is physiologically superior; however, there is lack of strong evidence to prove a clinical benefit. Hybrid therapies that combine the benefits of intermittent haemodialysis and continuous therapies have emerged in the past few years. These are simpler to carry out, provide more flexibility and may be cost effective and need to be studied in a systematic manner.