Final answer:
Slow continuous ultrafiltration, also known as isolated ultrafiltration, is used to remove fluids and solutes through the process of convection.
Step-by-step explanation:
Slow continuous ultrafiltration (SCUF), also known as isolated ultrafiltration, is a dialysis process used to remove plasma water in cases of volume overload. In this therapeutic procedure, excess fluid is removed from the blood through a semipermeable membrane due to pressure gradients. Unlike hemodialysis, which uses dialysate to aid in the removal of waste products via diffusion, SCUF specifically targets the removal of excess fluid without significantly removing solutes. To understand this concept, one must know that in standard hemodialysis, the goal is to extract urea and other waste products from the blood by passing the patient's blood through a length of tubing surrounded by dialysate within a dialyzer. The osmotic pressure of the blood forces waste molecules such as urea through the cellophane semipermeable membrane into the dialysate, while larger components like red and white blood cells remain in the blood.