The use of Haemodialysis in Acute Renal Failure and Overhydration in Children

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Abstract
Three children with acute renal failure and severe overhydration were treated by hemodialysis using percutaneous catheterization of the femoral artery and vein with regional heparinization. Overhydration is a serious problem in acute renal failure in infancy and childhood, and removal of body water by the artificial kidney is the most effective solution. The delay in improvement in conscious level following haemodialysis correlates with the delayed equilibration between plasma and C. S. F. compartments and the return of the C. S. F. pH to normal. The two survivors were a 15-month-old infant with proven renal cortical necrosis, dialysed on four occasions and a 15-year-old boy with ethylene glycol intoxication, dialysed on five occasions. The policy of early repeated hemodialysis is now applicable to infants and children.