Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, Impact on Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay

This large national cohort study, including over 500,000 patients, aims to evaluate the association between time to initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS). The investigators hypothesize that earlier start of CRRT is associated with shorter length of stay among critically ill patients. CRRT is seen as a costly intervention, and after studies failing to demonstrate a mortality benefit from earlier initiation, the trend is to push, or postpone the start of CRRT. In Sweden the additional cost of CRRT amounts to around 5000 SEK, approximately 500 dollars/euros per 24 hours. However, the 24-hour cost of staying in the ICU is around 58000 SEK or 5800 dollars/euros.