insufficient enrollment

The purpose of this study is to determine whether in patients with acute decompensated congestive heart failure and the cardiorenal syndrome, i.e. a state in which therapy directed to improve symptoms is limited by further worsening renal function, fluid removal by ultrafiltration is superior to different pharmacological approaches in acutely relieving congestion and preventing further deterioration in renal function and whether it results in longer admission-free survival 90 days after enrolment

Acute decompensated congestive heart failure (ADCHF), the most common single cause of hospitalization over 65 years, results in 4-8% in-hospital mortality and 30-38% incidence of readmissions within 3 months after discharge. While fluid accumulation remains the main factor causing hospitalization, impaired cardiac output in ADHF causes renal arterial underfilling and increased venous pressure, reducing the glomerular filtration rate and causing acute kidney injury.

Aggressive therapy is required to alleviate volume overload during hospital admission and achievement of a dry weight is capital in preventing rehospitalisation. Currently diuretics are considered the standard of care for volume overload in ADHF, yet any patients, especially those with advanced HF become soon resistant to standard doses of loop diuretics, so escalating doses and the association of thiazides are often required to achieve effective diuresis, an approach that will progressively worsen renal function, causing the cardiorenal syndrome.

When diuretic resistance develops and symptoms persists, mechanical fluid removal via ultrafiltration should be considered. Ultrafiltration is an alternative method of sodium and water removal, that filters plasma water directly across a semipermeable membrane in response to a transmembrane pressure gradient, resulting in an ultrafiltrate that is isoosmotic compared with plasma water, In view of the limits of traditional therapies for the treatment of congestion and concomitant progressive renal dysfunction in ADHF patients, there is a compelling need for additional studies to individuate the better method for fluid removal in volume-overloaded patients and guide management decisions to reduce associated morbidity.

The main objectives of the present project are to evaluate whether in patients with acute decompensated congestive heart failure and the cardiorenal syndrome, i.e. a state in which therapy directed to improve CHF symptoms is limited by further worsening renal function, fluid removal by ultrafiltration is superior to different pharmacological approaches in acutely relieving congestion and preventing further deterioration in renal function and whether it results in longer admission-free survival 90 days after enrolment

Inclusion criteria

On admission (screening)

• Informed consent

• Age 18-80 years

• NYHA class III - IV

• Signs of pulmonary (pulmonary rales, and interstitial oedema or pleural effusion on chest Xray) and/or systemic congestion (pitting ankle oedema and enlarged liver or ascites and neck vein distension ≥ 7 cm) and weight gain ≥ 2 kg during the previous week

• Glomerular filtration rate ≥ 30 ml/min

• BNP increased >400 pg/ml (diagnostic cut-off for ADCHF), as confirmatory diagnostic test)

  24 hours after admission (randomization)

• Persistent signs of pulmonary (pulmonary rales, interstitial oedema or pleural effusion on chest Xray) and/or systemic congestion (ankle oedema, enlarged liver or ascites, neck vein distension ≥ 7 cm)

• Serum creatinine or urine output criteria indicative of modified RIFLE (AKI: risk) class at least 1 (increase x 1.5 in serum creatinine or decrease > 25% in GFR or urine output < 0.5 ml/Kg/h for more than 6 hours) 29-30 during diuretic infusion

Exclusion criteria

• Chronic kidney disease stage 4-5 (GFR < 30 ml/min)
• Acute coronary syndromes
• Systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg/need for intravenous inotropes
• Hematocrit > 45%
• Unattainable venous access
• Contraindications to anticoagulation by heparin
• Systemic infection
• Heart transplant