Flexitrate regional citrate anticoagulation in continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration: a retrospective analysis

Flexitrate, an innovative regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) protocol, was compared to traditional RCA (tRCA) and Heparin anticoagulation protocols in intensive care patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

A single-center, retrospective, cohort study, was done in a 26-bed intensive care unit in a large community hospital. Eighty dialysis sessions (Flexitrate = 2852 h, tRCA = 3580 h and Heparin = 2026 h), performed in 53 patients, were evaluated for filter life, RCA control, and metabolic control.

In the Flexitrate cohort, 3.8% of filters clotted, compared to 16.9% with tRCA and 28.3% with Heparin (p < 0.001 for Flexitrate compared to either tRCA or Heparin). Filter survival was significantly improved with Flexitrate compared to tRCA (HR 0.24, p = 0.018) or Heparin (HR 0.14, p = 0.004). Anticoagulation control was superior with Flexitrate with Patient Ionized Calcium out of target a median of 16% of the time, compared to 27% for tRCA (p < 0.001). Filter Ionized Calcium was out of target a median of 6.8% of the time, compared to 23% for tRCA (p = 0.03). Flexitrate produced significantly less alkalosis, hypernatremia, and hypocalcemia than tRCA, and overall metabolic control was comparable to Heparin anticoagulation. The only adverse metabolic outcome with Flexitrate was increased hypomagnesemia.

The Flexitrate protocol extended filter life, delivered more consistent anticoagulation, and provided superior metabolic control compared to a tRCA protocol. Filter life was superior to Heparin anticoagulation, with similar metabolic control. A randomized control trial comparing these protocols is recommended.