Achieving high convective volumes in on-line hemodiafiltration.

On-line hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) has established itself as a highly efficient and safe form of renal replacement therapy, providing clinical benefits for several conditions that afflict end-stage chronic kidney disease patients. Additionally, evidence now ascribes a survival benefit to OL-HDF. The first indication that mortality rates decline with high-efficiency OL-HDF was provided by the European results from the DOPPS. Since then, the RISCAVID, CONTRAST and the Turkish HDF trials have all substantiated the original findings that higher convection volumes are favorable in terms of improved survival. With the emerging concept of convection volume impacting patient survival, we examine the factors and practical approaches by which maximal convection volumes can actually be achieved and individualized for each patient treated with OL-HDF. We believe that with these factors in mind, all attempts should be made to maximize convective volume, and hence the convective dose, to enable the patient to derive the full benefits of OL-HDF over extended periods.