Extracorporeal therapies in acute rhabdomyolysis and myoglobin clearance

Rhabdomyolysis is a pathogenetic cause of acute kidney injury. In such circumstances, not only should therapeutic strategies to replace the failing kidney be implemented, but measures should also be explored to prevent further damage by circulating myoglobin. Volume expansion and forced diuresis have been used, but when a kidney fails, renal replacement therapies are instituted. The techniques and devices used for classic dialytic techniques have displayed a limited capacity for the removal of circulating myoglobin. In a recent paper, Naka and colleagues have proposed the use of a super-high-flux membrane in continuous hemofiltration. The removal of myoglobin was greater than in than any previous report. Thus, if the removal of myoglobin is desirable, a combination of continuous hemofiltration and hyperpermeable membranes seems to be the most effective. However, care must be exercised to prevent unwanted albumin losses.