Impact of different modalities of continuous venovenous hemofiltration on sepsis-induced alterations in experimental pancreatitis.

Background: Continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) is assumed to attenuate systemic complications in septic diseases. The impact of different treatment intensities of CVVH on immunologic and systemic alterations in experimental pancreatitis was evaluated.

Methods: Eighty-four minipigs were allocated either to an untreated control group (group 1) or to one of six treatment groups (groups 2 to 7) that underwent CVVH in different modalities: (1): "late" CVVH, started after a decline of total peripheral resistance of 30% versus "prophylactic" CVVH started immediately after the induction of pancreatitis; (2) no change of hemofilters versus a periodic change of filters every 12 hours; (3) low-volume CVVH with a filtrate turnover of 20 mL/kg body weight (BW)/h versus high-volume CVVH (100 mL/kg/h).