Plasma filtration adsorption dialysis (PFAD): a new technology for blood purification

Severe sepsis is one of the most significant challenges in critical care. Despite all the developments achieved in infectious diseases and critical care, along with numerous attempts to develop treatments, the mortality rate of severe sepsis and septic shock remains unacceptably high. The pathophysiology of severe sepsis and septic shock is only partially understood. Circulating proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators appear to participate in the complex cascade of events which leads to deranged microcirculatory function, as we know from the peak concentration hypothesis. Therapeutic trials targeting single pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators failed to demonstrate any benefit, suggesting that the unselective removal of different mediators may be a more appropriate approach. In severe sepsis several blood purification techniques, such as continuous hemofiltration (CVVH), high volume hemofiltration (HVHF), pulse high volume hemofiltration (HVHF), plasma filtration, p...