The Optimal Mode of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (OMAKI) Study

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit is common, devastating and costly. However, minimal evidence exists to guide the prescription of optimal renal replacement therapy (RRT). An important area of uncertainty surrounds the relative effects of convective versus diffusive modes of clearance. Although both clearance modes provide similar degrees of small molecule clearance, convective modes permit the enhanced clearance of larger-sized molecules which may mediate kidney and systemic toxicity in the setting of AKI. Continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRTs) are frequently applied in critically ill patients with AKI. Convective clearance, as applied through continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) and diffusive clearance, as applied through continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD), may be readily compared in the context of patients receiving CRRT. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of conducting a larger study that will determine whether convective clearance (hemofiltration) confers improved outcomes as compared to diffusive clearance (hemodialysis) in patients with AKI.