Online Haemodiafiltration
Haemodiafiltration (HDF) is a particular type of haemodialysis. HDF is the combination of two methods, namely haemodialysis (HD) and haemofiltration (HF). These two methods combined have the advantage of removing low molecular weight solutes (by diffusion) while also removing medium and high molecular weight substances (by convection).
The primary feature of the HDF method is the use of convection (a physical process) to remove greater amounts of plasma water from the blood compartment of the haemodialysis patients while at the same time infusing equal volumes of dialysis solution through pre- or post-dilution techniques.
To facilitate this process, a variety of state-of-the-art apparatus allows to replace pre-packaged pockets for the infusion of sterile and apyrogenic liquids with a system that enables the online supply of the required amount of infusion prepared using the dialysis fluid.
HDF treatments include all the clinical benefits associated with the biocompatibility characteristics of the membrane typology used, as well as the benefits indicated by numerous clinical studies on treatments that use convection. Such benefits include: greater cardiovascular tolerance, reduced intradialytic complications, a more efficient control of anaemia through a reduction in erythropoietin consumption, fewer problems related to amyloidosis formation, and higher Kt/v (treatment adequacy coefficient) values.