Nephrology · Fillable Template · Critical Care

CRRT Flowsheet & SBAR Handoff

A single fillable page for the whole CRRT shift: prescription in effect, filter age, hourly circuit pressures, a fluid-balance ledger that totals itself, delivered:prescribed dose ratio, labs, the events log, and a structured SBAR handoff. Fill it in your browser, then print or save as PDF.

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Instructions
  1. Fill in the Prescription in Effect and filter start time once per shift (or whenever the order changes) — the prescribed dose and filter age update automatically.
  2. Chart circuit pressures and anticoagulation hourly in the first table, and the fluid-balance ledger hourly in the second — Total Intake, Hourly Balance, and Cumulative Balance calculate themselves as you type.
  3. Enter hours CRRT actually ran this shift in the Quality Metrics box to see the live delivered:prescribed dose ratio against the >80% target.
  4. Log labs and any alarms/events/circuit changes as they occur — total downtime sums automatically.
  5. Complete the SBAR box at end of shift, then click Print / Save as PDF (bottom-center pill) to hand off or file in the chart.

Everything you type is saved in your browser only (localStorage) — nothing is sent anywhere. Use Reset Form below to clear it for the next shift/patient.

When to Use

Use this template for every CRRT shift as the working flowsheet at the bedside, or as a structured starting point to adapt into your unit's electronic or paper charting system. It operationalizes the Documentation & Monitoring section of the CRRT Clinical Reference guide — the same monitoring cadence, required flowsheet fields, and SBAR handoff structure, made fillable and self-totaling.

Appropriate use

ICU and dialysis nurses/techs charting an active CRRT shift; nephrology/IM trainees learning what a complete flowsheet should contain; attending physicians auditing delivered vs. prescribed dose or reviewing a shift's fluid balance at handoff.

⚠️

Not a substitute for your EMR

This is an educational, print-first template — it does not replace your institution's validated electronic or paper CRRT flowsheet, does not transmit or store data anywhere but your own browser, and is not a medical device. Reconcile every field with your unit's protocol and documentation policy.

Charting Tips & Pitfalls
💡

Chart the trend, not just the value

A single pressure reading means little — what matters is the direction of change from baseline. Fill every hourly cell you can, even when "unchanged," so the trend is visible at a glance at handoff.

🔬

Downtime is data

Every hour off therapy lowers the delivered dose. Log the reason, start, and stop time of every interruption in the Events table — the total downtime figure is what explains a low delivered:prescribed ratio at the end of the shift.

🚫

Pitfalls

(1) Don't forget to update the Prescription in Effect box whenever the order changes — the dose calculations use whatever is currently entered there. (2) The Cumulative Balance column only totals rows you've filled in order, top to bottom — a skipped row will not be included. (3) iCa values (post-filter vs. systemic) are two different targets — never chart one in place of the other (see the CRRT guide's Anticoagulation section). (4) Reset the form between patients/shifts so figures don't carry over.

Why Use It

Rigorous documentation is a patient-safety intervention, not paperwork: it is how a rising TMP or a creeping cumulative fluid balance is caught early, how a delivered dose that has quietly fallen below target is discovered before it becomes clinically meaningful, and how a shift handoff transfers the full clinical picture instead of a verbal summary. Building the fluid ledger and dose-ratio math directly into the form removes the arithmetic errors that come from hand-totaling a 12-hour ledger at 6 a.m., and a structured SBAR box ensures nothing is dropped between shifts — the same four questions, every time.

Prescription in Effect & Filter Age

Update this box whenever the order changes. The prescribed effluent dose and filter age recalculate live.

De-identified — do not enter full patient names on a page you may print/share.
Date this flowsheet covers.
Required for the dose calculations below.
Used to compute filter age (hours in service) below.
Total Effluent
mL/hr
Prescribed Dose
mL/kg/hr
Filter Age
hours in service

⚕ KDIGO target: delivered effluent dose 20–25 mL/kg/hr — prescribe ~25–30 to offset downtime. Filter age auto-refreshes about once a minute while this page stays open.

Hourly Circuit Pressures, Anticoagulation & Fluid Balance

One row per hour (or your unit's charting interval) across a 12-hour shift. Total Intake, Hourly Balance, and Cumulative Balance calculate automatically as you fill the fluid ledger.

Circuit Pressures & Anticoagulation

TimeAccess
(mmHg)
Return
(mmHg)
TMP
(mmHg)
Pre-filter
(mmHg)
Citrate
(mL/hr)
Ca infusion
(mL/hr)
Post-filter iCa
(mmol/L)
Systemic iCa
(mmol/L)
Init.

Fluid-Balance Ledger

TimeEffluent
(mL)
Net UF
removed (mL)
Replacement
returned (mL)
IV fluids
(mL)
Nutrition
(mL)
Blood
products (mL)
Flushes
(mL)
Total Intake
(mL)
Hourly
Balance (mL)
Cumulative
Balance (mL)
Quality Metrics — This Shift
Total Effluent Delivered
mL, this shift
Delivered Dose
mL/kg/hr
Delivered : Prescribed
target > 80%
Cumulative Balance
mL, this shift

Fill the fluid ledger and enter hours running to see the delivered:prescribed ratio.

Labs, Electrolytes & Events Log

Chart labs as drawn (typically q6–12h, more if unstable) and every alarm, intervention, or circuit change as it happens. Total downtime sums automatically.

Labs & Electrolytes

TimeK⁺
(mmol/L)
Na⁺
(mmol/L)
HCO₃⁻
(mmol/L)
Phosphate
(mg/dL)
Magnesium
(mg/dL)
pH / acid–baseNotes

Events, Alarms & Circuit Changes

TimeAlarm / EventInterventionFilter/circuit
changed?
Downtime
(min)
Init.

Total downtime this shift: 0 min — every minute here lowers the delivered dose above.

Structured Handoff — SBAR

Complete at end of shift. This mirrors the SBAR structure in the CRRT guide's Documentation & Monitoring section.

Charting Tips at the Bedside

Use the flowsheet to catch problems early, not just to record them after the fact.

  • Rising TMP or pre-filter pressure trend: flag it the hour you see it start, not once the filter clots — see the CRRT guide's Troubleshooting & Alarms section.
  • Cumulative balance drifting far from goal: reconcile against the whole-patient daily fluid-removal target and adjust net UF, don't wait for end-of-shift.
  • Delivered:Prescribed ratio < 80%: look at the Events log for the downtime driver (clotting, access, procedures) before the next shift starts.
  • Post-filter vs. systemic iCa: titrate citrate to the post-filter value and the calcium infusion to the systemic value — they are two separate targets, never one dial for both.
  • Pair with the CRRT Dose and Net Ultrafiltration Rate calculators when titrating the prescription mid-shift.
Evidence & References

Formulas used on this page

QuantityFormula
Prescribed effluent dose (mL/kg/hr)(Qd + Qr + Net UF goal) ÷ weight (kg)
Filter age (hours)(Now − filter/circuit start) in hours
Total Intake, per hour row (mL)Replacement returned + IV fluids + Nutrition + Blood products + Flushes
Hourly Balance (mL)Total Intake − Net UF removed (that row)
Cumulative Balance (mL)Running sum of Hourly Balance, top to bottom
Delivered dose (mL/kg/hr)Total effluent delivered (mL) ÷ weight (kg) ÷ hours CRRT running
Delivered : Prescribed ratioDelivered dose ÷ Prescribed dose × 100%

The 20–25 mL/kg/hr delivered-dose target and the >80% delivered:prescribed quality metric are both KDIGO-anchored and reinforced by the RENAL and ATN trials, which found no benefit to intensities above the target — the clinical priority is reliably delivering the target dose, not exceeding it. SBAR (Situation–Background–Assessment–Recommendation) is a widely adopted structured-handoff format shown to reduce communication-related errors in critical care handoffs.

References

  1. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI Work Group. KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Acute Kidney Injury. Kidney Int Suppl. 2012;2(1):1–138.
  2. RENAL Replacement Therapy Study Investigators; Bellomo R, et al. Intensity of continuous renal-replacement therapy in critically ill patients. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(17):1627–1638.
  3. VA/NIH Acute Renal Failure Trial Network; Palevsky PM, et al. Intensity of renal support in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(1):7–20.
Important: This is an educational, fillable template for licensed clinicians and does not replace your institution's validated CRRT flowsheet, documentation policy, or device instructions-for-use. All data you enter stays in your own browser (localStorage) — nothing is transmitted to or stored on any server. Always reconcile every field and calculation with the clinical picture, your unit's protocol, and the treating team's judgment before acting on it.
References 3 sources
  1. KDIGO AKI Work Group. KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Acute Kidney Injury. Kidney Int Suppl. 2012;2(1):1–138.
  2. RENAL Replacement Therapy Study Investigators; Bellomo R, et al. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(17):1627–1638.
  3. VA/NIH Acute Renal Failure Trial Network; Palevsky PM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(1):7–20.
Dr. W Rivero, MD

W Rivero, MD, FPCP, DPSN

Specialist in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Clinical Nutrition. Practicing integrative and evidence-based nephrology across Quezon City, Pampanga, and Bulacan.

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