Intoxications Amenable to Extracorporeal Removal

Extracorporeal removal of drugs was first attempted in 1913, by John Jacob Abel. Previously known to be a rarity, dialysis and to a lesser extent hemoperfusion have now become obvious tools for nephrologists in treating life-threatening cases of poisoning. Moreover, for dialysis patients, dialysis along with chelation therapy for removal of aluminum, once known to be common in the United States, is resurging in some countries. This article will discuss the principles of drug removal, the indications for dialysis, and give a brief outline of poisons amenable to dialysis.