Multicentre, Unblinded, Randomised, Controlled Trial of Severe Acute Renal Failure (ARF)

Patients who have developed kidney failure in the intensive care unit (ICU) ar being invited to take part in a clinical research study comparing two different types of artifical kidney treatment, which doctors call continuous renal replacement therapy or CRRT for short. The goal of the study is to compare two doses of CRRT. This treatment is also commonly known as continuous dialysis. As it stands doctors are uncertain as to the best level of intensity of treatment with a kidney machine in this setting and wish to do a study comparing two levels of treatment to see which one is best for patients with this condition. If a patient has acute renal failure and they require treatmnet they will still receive one of these treatments because their kidneys are failing. The CRRT two doses are: 1. Continuous renal replacement therapy at 40 ml/kg/hr (about 3 litres per hour) of fluid exchange or 2. Continuous renal replacement therapy at 25 ml/kg/hr (about 2 litres per hour) of fluid exchange. This study will involve 1500 patients from 30 Intensive Care Units in Australia and New Zealand and will include all types of patients admitted to Intensive Care.