Continuous venovenous hemodialysis

Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are the main renal replacement therapies for patients with acute renal failure. These patients are often unable to tolerate drastic fluid shifts and other complications of conventional dialysis. Continuous hemodialysis, however, provides protection from the hemodynamic consequences and osmotic stressors of conventional dialysis and is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for critically ill patients. We present a case in which a patient with a spontaneous cerebellar hemorrhage developed acute renal failure. Surgical evacuation was not an option. Clinical management included the use of continuous venovenous hemodialysis, which is described in the setting of a patient with a posterior fossa mass. The risks of anticoagulation, hemodynamic instability, and development of dialysis disequilibrium syndrome are discussed.