Kidney failure associated with liver transplantation or liver failure: The impact of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration

Abstract

Background and aims: The short-term outcome of critically ill patients with kidney failure combined with severe liver failure or orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) is poor. We sought to test the hypothesis that, with the exclusive use of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) with minimal heparin-anticoagulation, the short and long-term outcomes of these patients would be improved. Patients: Sixty-six consecutive patients with combined liver and kidney failure Setting: Intensive Care Unit of tertiary hospital Design: Retrospective interrogation of prospectively collected databases Intervention: Treatment of all patients with continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) by protocol..