CRRT prescription and delivery of dose

Abstract

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the preferred modality of extracorporeal renal support for critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). The dose of CRRT is reported as effluent flow in ml/kg body weight per hour (ml/kg/h). Solid evidence supports that the delivered CRRT effluent dose for critically ill patients with AKI should be 20-25 ml/kg/h on average. To account for treatment interruptions and the natural decline in filter efficiency over time, it is recommended to prescribe 25-30 ml/kg/h of effluent dose. However, transient higher doses of CRRT in specific clinical scenarios may be needed to accommodate specific solute control needs of a particular patient at a given time. Consequently, there should be consideration of the potential adverse consequences of non-selective clearance such as undesired antimicrobials and nutrients removal. In this manuscript, we provide a summary of evidence related to CRRT dose, practical aspects for its calculation at the time of prescribing CRRT, and considerations for addressing the expected gap between prescribed and delivered CRRT dose. We also provide a framework for monitoring and implementation of CRRT dose as a quality indicator of CRRT delivery.