Anticoagulation in Continuous Arteriovenous Hemofiltration

Anticoagulation is as necessary for continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration (CAVH) as for pump-driven hemofiltration, in order to prevent clotting in the filter. The difference in anticoagulation between arteriovenous hemofiltration and conventional hemodialysis and hemofiltration results from the considerably lower blood-flow rate due to the absence of pumps and due to the longer duration of continuous treatment. Also, patients treated with CAVH to date usually suffered from an acute illness, and polytraumatized and surgical patients especially could not be endangered by unnecessarily high doses of heparin.