Removal of sulfonamides by hemofiltration

Hemofiltration is a relatively new technique for removing toxic substances from the body. Unlike hemodialysis or hemoperfusion, the driving force behind hemofiltration is ultrafiltration. There have been several studies examining the clearance of drugs by hemofiltration but to date no study has investigated in a systematic way the effects of protein binding, perfusate flow, transmembrane pressure, and the duration of treatment on drug clearance by hemofiltration. The influence of these factors on the hemofiltration clearance of three sulfonamides with differing degrees of protein binding was investigated. It was found that hemofiltration drug clearance decreased with the duration of hemofiltration and protein binding but increased with perfusate flow and transmembrane pressure.