Diuretic strategies in patients with acute decompensated heart failure
BACKGROUND: Loop diuretics are an essential component of therapy for patients with acute decompensated heart failure, but there are few prospective data to guide their use.
METHODS: In a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned 308 patients with acute decompensated heart failure to receive furosemide administered intravenously by means of either a bolus every 12 hours or continuous infusion and at either a low dose (equivalent to the patient's previous oral dose) or a high dose (2.5 times the previous oral dose). The protocol allowed specified dose adjustments after 48 hours. The coprimary end points were patients' global assessment of symptoms, quantified as the area under the curve (AUC) of the score on a visual-analogue scale over the course of 72 hours, and the change in the serum creatinine level from baseline to 72 hours.
RESULTS: In the comparison of bolus with continuous infusion, there was no significant difference in patients' global assessment of symptoms (mean AUC, 4236±1440 and 4373±1404, respectively; P=0.47) or in the mean change in the creatinine level (0.05±0.3 mg per deciliter [4.4±26.5 μmol per liter] and 0.07±0.3 mg per deciliter [6.2±26.5 μmol per liter], respectively; P=0.45). In the comparison of the high-dose strategy with the low-dose strategy, there was a nonsignificant trend toward greater improvement in patients' global assessment of symptoms in the high-dose group (mean AUC, 4430±1401 vs. 4171±1436; P=0.06). There was no significant difference between these groups in the mean change in the creatinine level (0.08±0.3 mg per deciliter [7.1±26.5 μmol per liter] with the high-dose strategy and 0.04±0.3 mg per deciliter [3.5±26.5 μmol per liter] with the low-dose strategy, P=0.21). The high-dose strategy was associated with greater diuresis and more favorable outcomes in some secondary measures but also with transient worsening of renal function.
CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with acute decompensated heart failure, there were no significant differences in patients' global assessment of symptoms or in the change in renal function when diuretic therapy was administered by bolus as compared with continuous infusion or at a high dose as compared with a low dose. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00577135.).
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Responses
Abdul Khan
Basically validates what we already practice
Posted 16 May, 2014 at 4:10James French
Deciding if the patient has a preload, rate, inotropy or afterload emergency is key and often overlooked. There is no one size fits all for CCF.
Posted 21 Mar, 2015 at 13:10Ioannis Tsagurnis
No difference often means none of the options are any good! Use a nitrate infusion instead; you can titrate the pump rate to response and it wears off quickly if there is an adverse reaction. Diuretics cause a drop in cardiac output after all, which I would object to of I was the patient
Posted 2 Nov, 2014 at 13:10Salil Gupta
Infusion of lasix works better and addition of metolazone makes it even better. Shortens length is stay by diuresing faster
Posted 14 Apr, 2018 at 13:54Enoc Flores G
En casi todos los estudios al respecto , se llega a las mismas conclusiones. En la practica, usamos la infusión.
Posted 10 Mar, 2016 at 0:05Ian Goldberg
Still see continuous infusion used more often the bolus
Posted 19 Sep, 2014 at 15:53Paulo Salim
Old therapy is better
Posted 12 Oct, 2014 at 0:03Mohamed Elmustafa Elsayed
Exactly, reassuring though.
Posted 1 Aug, 2014 at 4:03habib shams
Very interesting
Posted 15 Oct, 2015 at 17:48Andre Holder
40% treatment failure with diuretics? I spend much of my time in an academic center with a similarly sick patient population. I don't see this kind of failure. Would be nice to see what percentage of pts had adjuncts used and the kinds used (NIPPV, inotropes, etc.) and the percentage of those who ended up in the ICU.
Posted 7 Jul, 2015 at 2:20Ali Saqlain Haider
Should use high doses of diuretics in continous infusions if hemodynamics allows .
Posted 2 Oct, 2014 at 9:19Ariel Meyer
Use of thiazide type diuretic in addition to loop gives a bigger bang for the buck
Posted 3 Sep, 2017 at 14:58Krishna Rai
Continuous vs bolus later one always better
Posted 21 Sep, 2014 at 13:57