Hemofiltration

Hemofiltration is a primary type of dialysis. It is a medical procedure to artificially replace some of the lost functions of the kidneys following kidney failure.

Hemofiltration is a form of renal replacement therapy and is usually used in an intensive care unit following acute kidney injury (AKI) to remove waste products from the body until the functions of the kidney can be restored. Hemofiltration is similar to hemodialysis, but no dialysis solution is used, instead the blood is passed to a semipermeable membrane where a positive hydrostatic pressure pushes water across the membrane. As the water passes through the membrane large and small waste solutes are also drawn through.

Doctors who prescribe and monitor hemofiltration are called nephrologists.