[Continuous venovenous hemofiltration as a bridge to heart transplantation in a patient with congestive heart failure and acute renal failure]

Abstract

Continuous venovenous hemofiltration effectively controls volume overload in cases of severe congestive heart failure accompanied by acute renal failure that could not be medicamentously controlled. A patient with severe ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy who developed acute renal failure while waiting for urgent heart transplantation is described. He was treated with CVVH for three days when the occasion for heart transplantation appeared. At the time of transplantation laboratory markers of renal function were within the normal range with stable hemodynamic parameters. After successful transplantation the patient spontaneously and completely recovered his renal function.