Survival and kidney recovery among recipients of continuous renal replacement therapy

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is widely used in the care of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Despite hopeful trends suggested by recent studies, mortality among CRRT recipients with severe AKI remains extremely high. Moreover, CRRT does not confer a reduction in mortality in trials comparing CRRT to intermittent RRT modalities. Among AKI survivors, some preliminary studies suggest a higher likelihood of kidney recovery and dialysis independence in CRRT recipients. AKI survivors are at risk for a broad array of adverse outcomes; strategies that may mitigate these risks are discussed.