Table 2.

Evidence for treatment of acute renal failure

Treatment	Evidence of benefit	Comment
Loop diuretics versus placebo	No difference in survival or renal recovery rate	May promote diuresis, but can be ototoxic in high doses
Dopamine versus placebo	No difference in mortality or need for dialysis	Risks include tachycardia, extravasation necrosis, and peripheral gangrene
Natriuretic peptides versus placebo	No difference in dialysis-free survival	May cause hypotension
Renal replacement therapy: continuous versus intermittent haemodialysis	No significant difference in survival or renal recovery	Continuous venovenous haemodialysis less likely to provoke hypotension
Insulin-like growth factor-1 versus placebo	No difference in renal recovery or need for dialysis
Thyroxine versus placebo	No difference in renal recovery or need for dialysis	Increased mortality in critically ill patients