Impact of Continuous Venovenous Haemofiltration on Organ Failure During the Early Phase of Severe Sepsis
Impact of Continuous Venovenous Haemofiltration on Organ Failure During the Early Phase of Severe Sepsis
The impact of continuous veno-venous haemofiltration (CVVH) on sepsis-induced multiple organ
 failure severity is controversial. We thus sought to assess the effect of early application
 of haemofiltration on the degree of organ dysfunction and plasma cytokine levels in patients
 with severe sepsis or septic shock.
prospective, randomized, open, multicentre study was performed between 1997 and 1999 in 16
 French intensive care units. Patients were enrolled within 24 hours of development of the
 first organ failure related to a new septic insult. They were randomized to group 1 (HF), who
 received haemofiltration for a 96 hr period, or group 2 (C) who were managed conventionally.
 The primary end-point was the number, severity and duration of organ failures at 14 days, as
 evaluated by the SOFA score, on an intention-to-treat analysis. Strict guidelines were
 provided to perform continuous haemofiltration under the same conditions and objectives in
 all centres.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  clinically identified focus of infection associated with at least 2 SIRS criteria and
 one or more sepsis-induced organ failures within the 24 hours prior to inclusion, plus
 a SAPS II score between 35-63

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients were excluded if pregnant, younger than 18 years, in a moribund state, in
 chronic renal failure, or receiving immunosuppressive therapy.