Extracorporeal Therapies in the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Extracorporeal treatments create opportunity for removing disease causing solutes within blood. Intoxications, renal failure, and immune-mediated diseases may be managed with these treatments, often providing new hope for patients with severe or refractory disease. Understanding solute pharmacokinetics and the limitations of each type of extracorporeal technique can allow for the selection of the optimal treatment modality.

Keywords: Continuous renal replacement; Extracorporeal toxin removal; Hemoperfusion; Intermittent hemodialysis; Plasma exchange; Plasmapheresis.