[Hemofiltration in the treatment of generalized edema]

9 fluid overloaded patients, 8 of them with congestive heart failure and 1 patient with acute renal failure, were treated by ultrafiltration without hemodialysis. Using Gambro-major- and Rhone-Poulenc-6-dialysers the patients were deprived of 6,907.14+/-3,586.13 ml or 652.83 ml/h of extracellular fluid, on an average. During the withdrawal of fluid the plasma volume and central venous pressure decreased, whereas the cardiac output slightly increased. After the ultrafiltration, which did not show any undesirable side effects, the patients could be held in a compensative state by conservative therapy (digitalis and diuretics).