Book excerpt: Critical care nephrology is an emerging multidisciplinary science in which the competences of different specialists are merged to provide a unified diagnostic and therapeutic approach to the critically ill patient. The volume at hand places great emphasis on cardiorenal syndromes and the multidisciplinary collaboration between cardiology and nephrology. Several contributions describe the cardiorenal syndrome in its different varieties and subtypes and report the results from the most recent Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Consensus Conference, as well as proposing new diagnostic approaches based on early biomarkers of AKI. Other papers discuss advances in technology for renal replacement therapy and multiple organ support therapy. Moreover, special emphasis is placed on the potential role of extracorporeal therapies in patients affected by H1N1 influenza, and a summary of the most recent trials in the field is included. Containing the proceedings of the 2010 International Vicenza Course on Critical Care Nephrology, this publication is a state-of-the-art appraisal of today's technology and current issues related to cardiorenal syndromes.