Regional citrate versus systemic heparin for anticoagulation in critically ill patients on continuous venovenous haemofiltration: a prospective randomized multicentre trial

Abstract

Citrate may be used as a regional anticoagulant and the only buffering agent in CVVH with adequate treatment efficacy and safety. However, neither citrate nor heparin anticoagulation should be regarded as a therapeutic standard, since there is no advantage of one of these substances with regard to patient mortality.