The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of different predictors on the outcomes of acute renal failure (ARF) in cardiosurgical patients. A hundred and five cases of ARF in January 1995 to August 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. Sixty-one patients received continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and 44 patients had intermittent RRT (IRRT). Eighteen preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative risk factors were assessed. The overall hospital mortality was found to be 42%: 48.4% in the CRRT group and 33.3% in the IRRT group. A statistical analysis revealed 8 significant predictors of fatal outcomes: (1) the severity according to the APACHE II scale (25 +/- 1 scores); (2) the number of organ dysfunctions (3.6 +/- 0.2); (3) large-dose inotropic support; (4) artificial ventilation; (5) oliguria; (6) severe concomitant hepatic failure; (7) moderate-to-severe concomitant posthypoxic encephalopathy. CRRT improved survival in AFR associated with severe cardiorespiratory failure, oliguria, and cerebral dysfunctions. The paper discusses criteria for choosing the modes of renal replacement therapy.