Dialysis dose in acute kidney injury and chronic dialysis

The major function of the kidneys is to remove metabolic waste products. Patients with acute kidney injury, especially in the context of multiple-organ failure, are often highly catabolic, and hence have increased production of such waste products. This fact led to the idea that survival of such patients might be improved by increased removal of these toxins by renal replacement therapy. Two multicentre randomised trials that were designed to investigate the effect of dose of renal replacement therapy on outcomes in acute kidney injury have been reported.