ABSTRACT
During the past decades, a number of advances have been made in the field of renal replacement therapy (RRT). In addition, clinicians have gained a better appreciation of the need for early and aggressive management of patients with renal failure in the intensive care unit (ICU) (1). Although a number of treatment modalities exist, there seems to be continued controversy about selection of the most appropriate modality for an individual patient. This chapter briefly reviews the clinical spectrum of renal failure in the ICU, the indications for initiating dialysis, the general principles of dialysis therapy, and unique features, advantages, disadvantages, and utility of various renal replacement modalities.
