ABSTRACT
In intensive care, the people use renal replacement therapy (RRT) that works by passing blood through an extracorporeal circuit where filtration, dialysis or a combination of both occurs. It is worth taking time to understand the difference between haemodialysis and haemofiltration. Continuous RRT uses lower pressures and works slowly over a longer time. It is less efficient, but can be used on sick, unstable patients and is the common choice of RRT on intensive care. There are different types of continuous RRT. They sound complicated and can seem overwhelming, but they are all essentially just dialysis, filtration or a combination of both. Flow is better through large, central veins and so the aim is to have the catheter tip inside the vena cava. Potential sites of access are therefore the subclavian or internal jugular veins, which allow access to the superior vena cava, or the femoral vein, which allows access into the inferior vena cava.
