• N Weksler, I Chorni, G M Gurman, A R Shapira, and L Gotloib.
• Division of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of the Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
• J Crit Care. 2001 Jun 1;16(2):69-73.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the early institution of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration on survival rates of nonoliguric, septic patients.Materials And MethodsA retrospective study of 48 nonoliguric septic patients with PaO(2)/FIO(2) < or = 250, who were admitted to the General Intensive Care of the Soroka Medical Center. Twenty-six patients were treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH group) and 22 were treated by conventional therapy. The end point of treatment was weaning from mechanical ventilation, adequate oxygenation, and the need for minimal cardiocirculatory support.ResultsThe study groups were similar in terms of age, gender, percentage of surgical or nonsurgical patients, APACHE II scores, and the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS). Baseline serum urea and creatinine levels were similar in the groups, but the PAO(2)/FIO(2) ratio was significantly lower in the CVVH group (150.6 +/- 86 vs. 214.2 +/- 8.9). Twenty of the CVVH patients and 10 of the patients receiving conventional therapy were discharged from the intensive care unit (P =.03), but the hospital discharge rate was only slightly higher in the CVVH group (12 of 26) compared with the conventional therapy group (7 of 22) (P =.145).ConclusionsIn this retrospective uncontrolled study, the mortality rate was considerably lower in nonoliguric septic patients who received continuous venovenous hemofiltration early in the course of the disease. The improved survival rate may be due to the ability of CVVH to eliminate mediators involved in the septic process, thus averting the multiple system organ failure consequent to septic insult.Copyright 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company

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