Intermittent high-volume predilution on-line haemofiltration versus standard intermittent haemodialysis in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury: a prospective randomized study

BACKGROUND: The optimal modality of dialysis treatment in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unclear. Intermittent high-volume predilution on-line haemofiltration (HF) is not a well-established dialysis modality. The purpose of the study was to compare clinical outcomes between HF and standard intermittent haemodialysis (HD) in this specific population. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, controlled single-centre clinical study, we compared mortality and recovery of kidney function between HF and HD in critically ill adult patients with AKI. The primary study outcome was 60-day all-cause mortality. Secondary study outcomes included 30-day and in-hospital all-cause mortality along with recovery of kidney function. Time to kidney function recovery and the number of required dialysis procedures were analyzed in the subgroup of patients with in-hospital recovery of kidney function. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the 273 patients in the two study groups were similar. All-cause mortality by Day 60 was 65.0% in the HF group and 65.5% in the HD group (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.71–1.33; P = 0.87). There were also no significant differences between the two groups in 30-day and in-hospital all-cause mortality or recovery of kidney function. Time to kidney function recovery and the number of required dialysis procedures were similar between the HF and the HD subgroup of patients with in-hospital recovery of kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: Dialysis treatment with intermittent high-volume predilution on-line HF in critically ill patients with AKI did not decrease mortality, improve recovery of kidney function or reduce the need for dialysis support compared to standard intermittent HD.