Continuous renal replacement therapy: dialytic therapy for acute renal failure in intensive care.

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common complication of critically ill patients in today's intensive care units. Intermittent renal replacement therapy for these types of patients may be limited or ineffective due to the critical nature of their illness. Volume overload and hemodynamic instability are complications that may not be treated adequately with conventional forms of dialysis, such as hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is rapidly gaining ground as the treatment of choice for ARF in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to its slow, gentle nature of water and solute removal Critical care nurses are responsible for monitoring this therapy, but a collaborative effort with nephrology nurses' expertise and background in dialysis therapies is a key ingredient in implementation of a successful CRRT program. This article will review the causes of ARF, the history of CRRT, current treatment options, trends, and implementation of a successful CRRT program.