The sickest ICU patient will begin to manifest failure in one or more organs. Acute renal
failure (ARF) is not uncommon in the ICU setting. ARF occurs in approximately 5% of all
hospitalized patients and, historically, has been associated with a high risk of mortality.
Following the introduction of dialysis therapy more than 50 years ago, patient mortality
dropped from 90% to 50%. However, mortality in the intervening years has not improved
from the 50% level. In ICU patients presenting with other co-morbidities, the mortally rate