BACKGROUND In comparison to conventional haemodialysis membranes, highly permeable membranes allow a broader spectrum of solute removal, including enhanced elimination of vancomycin (1448 Daltons). However, the mass transfer characteristics of vancomycin removal by highly permeable membranes have not been adequately assessed. An understanding of vancomycin's predominant dialytic mass transfer m...

The filter membrane in a CRRT extracorporeal circuit is vitally important for several reasons. Because it has the largest degree of exposure to blood of all circuit components, the membrane is the most important determinant of the circuit’s overall biocompatibility. In addition, membrane characteristics determine both the solute removal and water permeability properties of a CRRT filter. The fo...

The development of wearable or implantable technologies that replace center-based hemodialysis (HD) hold promise to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with ESRD. A prerequisite for these technologies is the development of highly efficient membranes that can achieve high toxin clearance in small-device formats. Here we examine the application of the porous nanocrystalline silicon ...

We greatly appreciated the recent research article by Park and colleagues in Critical Care showing that procalcitonin (PCT) is not superior to C-reactive protein (CRP) as a marker for infection in renal impairment [1]. Additionally, we would like to comment on the validity of CRP and PCT measurement during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Both acute-phase proteins are indeed effecti...

A plate confrontation experiment is commonly used to study the mechanism by which Trichoderma spp. antagonize and parasitize other fungi. Previous work with chitinase gene expression (ech42) during the precontact period of this process in which cellophane and dialysis membranes separated Trichoderma harzianum and its host Rhizoctonia solani resulted in essentially opposite results. Here, we sho...

Hemodialysis involves large, periodic treatment doses using large-area membranes. If the permeability of dialysis membranes could be increased, it would reduce the necessary dialyzer size and could enable a wearable device that administers a continuous, low dose treatment of chronic kidney disease. This paper explores the application of ultrathin silicon membranes to this purpose, by way of ana...

PURPOSE To search for methods of improving the excretion of injected gadolinium contrast medium (GdCM) in hemodialysis (HD) patients, we investigated the effect of the surface potential of HD membranes and the electrical charge of GdCM on the dialyzability of GdCM. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ionic (Gd-DTPA) or non-ionic (Gd-DO3A) GdCM solutions were dialyzed using a clinical HD unit. Two types of ...