Innovative techniques to decrease blood exposure and minimize interruptions in pediatric continuous renal replacement therapy.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) allows gradual, precise removal of excess fluid and solutes. Special considerations are necessary for children who require CRRT because of their smaller circulating blood volumes and the potential for hemodynamic instability associated with the initiation of CRRT. In critically ill children, the CRRT circuit is often primed with blood rather than saline to prevent excessive hemodilution.