Blood purification in non-renal critical illness

Extracorporeal therapies designed to remove substances from the circulation now include hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemoadsorption, plasma filtration, cell-based therapies and combinations of any of the above. In recent years, there have been considerable advances in our understanding and technical capabilities, but consensus over the optimal way, and under what conditions to use these therapies does not exist. Consequently, we have initiated a series of conferences under the auspices of the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI). ADQI aims at establishing an evidence-based appraisal and set of consensus recommendations to standardize care and direct further research. The results of previous consensus conferences are available on-line at www.ADQI.net. ADQI conferences have focused on research and management of renal disease. However, extracorporeal therapies are being used or investigated in the management of many other disease processes including systemic inflammation, liver disease, cardiac disease and thrombotic diseases.