CRRT in developing world

Knowledge, attitude, practice, needs, and implementation status of intensive care unit staff toward continuous renal replacement therapy: a survey of 66 hospitals in central and South China

BACKGROUND

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a commonly utilized form of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the intensive care unit (ICU). A specialized CRRT team (SCT, composed of physicians and nurses) engage playing pivotal roles in administering CRRT, but there is paucity of evidence-based research on joint training and management strategies. This study armed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of ICU staff toward CRRT, and to identify education pathways, needs, and the current status of CRRT implementation.

METHODS

This study was performed from February 6 to March 20, 2023. A self-made structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, T-tests, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple linear regression, and Pearson correlation coefficient tests (α = 0.05) were employed.

RESULTS

A total of 405 ICU staff from 66 hospitals in Central and South China participated in this study, yielding 395 valid questionnaires. The mean knowledge score was 51.46 ± 5.96 (61.8% scored highly). The mean attitude score was 58.71 ± 2.19 (73.9% scored highly). The mean practice score was 18.15 ± 0.98 (85.1% scored highly). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that gender, age, years of CRRT practice, ICU category, and CRRT specialist panel membership independently affected the knowledge score; Educational level, years of CRRT practice, and CRRT specialist panel membership independently affected the attitude score; Education level and teaching hospital employment independently affected the practice score. The most effective method for ICU staff to undergo training and daily work experience is within the department.

CONCLUSION

ICU staff exhibit good knowledge, a positive attitude and appropriately practiced CRRT. Extended CRRT practice time in CRRT, further training in a general ICU or teaching hospital, joining a CRRT specialist panel, and upgraded education can improve CRRT professional level. Considering the convenience of training programs will enhance ICU staff participation. Training should focus on basic CRRT principles, liquid management, and alarm handling.

Validation of a low-cost continuous renal replacement therapy dialysate fluid controller for experimental purposes

BACKGROUND

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) support is crucial for critically ill patients and it is underexplored in specific situations. Experimental CRRT offers a means to gain insights into these scenarios, but the prohibitive cost of CRRT machines limits their accessibility. This study aimed to develop and validate a low-cost and precise dialysate controller for experimental CRRT.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrate a commendable level of precision in affluent flow control, with a robust correlation (R2 = 0.99) for continuous flow and a strong correlation (R2 = 0.95) for intermittent flow. Additionally, we observed acceptable agreement with a bias = 3.4 mL (upper limit 95% = 43.9 mL and lower limit 95% = - 37 mL) for continuous flow and bias = - 20.9 mL (upper limit 95% = 54 mL and lower limit 95% = - 95.7 mL) for intermittent flow, in this way, offering a precise CRRT dose for the subjects. Furthermore, we achieved excellent precision in the cumulative ultrafiltration net (UFnet), with a bias = - 2.8 mL (upper limit 95% = 6.5 mL and lower limit 95% = - 12 mL). These results remained consistent even at low affluent flow rates of 8, 12, and 20 mL/min, which are compatible with CRRT doses of 25-30 mL/kg for medium-sized animals. Moreover, the acceptable precision of our findings persisted when the dialysate controller was subjected to high filter dialysate chamber pressure for an extended duration, up to 797 min.

CONCLUSIONS

The low-cost dialysate controller developed and tested in this study offers a precise means of regulating CRRT in experimental settings. Its affordability and accuracy render it a valuable instrument for studying CRRT support in unconventional clinical scenarios, particularly in middle-income countries' experimental ICU laboratories.

The Use of Sustained Low-efficiency Dialysis in the Treatment of Sepsis-associated Acute Kidney Injury in a Low-income Country: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background

Limited data are available regarding the management and outcomes of patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) requiring dialysis in Sudan. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a highly favored treatment modality in such patients. However, it stays unavailable and expensive treatment in most low-income countries. We aimed to evaluate the use of sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) in the treatment of hemodynamically unstable patients with SA-AKI admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Materials and methods

A prospective cohort was conducted in Baraha Medical City, Khartoum, Sudan. Patients above 18 years of age, who were admitted to the ICU between January and September 2020 with SA-AKI, and required SLED or CRRT were enrolled. These were followed up till death or discharge from the ICU. They were observed regarding their dialysis tolerance, rate of renal recovery, ICU mortality, and cost of therapy. Data analysis was done using SPSS.

Results

Fifty-three adults were enrolled. Their mean age was 62 ± 11 years, and 56.6% were males. Thirty-one patients (58.5%) received SLED and 22 (41.5%) underwent CRRT. Patients in the two groups were age and sex matched and showed no significant differences in their comorbid conditions, source of sepsis, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and their indications for dialysis (p > 0.05). Patients treated with SLED showed similar dialysis tolerance, rate of renal recovery, length of ICU admission, and risk of death compared to those treated with CRRT (p > 0.05). Moreover, SLED treatments were less expensive than CRRT, and the costs of ICU admission among the SLED group were significantly less (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study shows that SLED is safe and effective. It is readily available and can be routinely performed in the treatment of hemodynamically unstable patients with SA-AKI at a significantly lower cost.

How to cite this article

Taha AKA, Shigidi MMT, Abdulfatah NM, Alsayed RK. The Use of Sustained Low-efficiency Dialysis in the Treatment of Sepsis-associated Acute Kidney Injury in a Low-income Country: A Prospective Cohort Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(1):30-35.