ICVAA - Diuretics

 


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Diuretics:  Generally indicated for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF),  people at high risk for coronary disease, diabetics, prevention of recurrent stroke, and African-Americans.

KNOW:  Thiazide diuretics are first-line drugs for the treatment of hypertension because they have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality.  Diuretics should be avoided in patients with gout, renal insuffiency due to pre-renal causes, and/or patients taking lithium.  High doses of thiazide and loop diuretics can lead to temporary elevations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol but low doses of thiazide do not lead to these elevations.

-Loop diuretics:  furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex), torsemide (Demadex), and ethacrynic acid (Edecrin).  These drugs are indicated for treatment of CHF, acute pulmonary edema, and hypercalcemia.  Loop diuretics are not good agents for the management of chronic hypertension due to their short duration of action.  Ototoxcity is most commonly associated with ethacrynic acid but may occur with high doses of all the other loop diuretics.

-Furosemide is twice as potent when given IV, compared with oral, therefore 10 mg of IV furosemide equals approximately 20 mg of oral furosemide.

-Torsemide has good oral bioavailability and dosed in a 1:1 ratio oral to IV.  Therefore 10 mg IV torsemide equals approximately 10 mg of oral torsemide.

Potassium-sparing diuretics:  amiloride (Midamor), spironolactone (Aldactone), and Triamterene (Dyrenium).  These agents increase the risk of hyperkalemia. Therefore, patients who are taking ACE inhibitors and/or have renal insufficiency while taking potassium-sparing diuretics should be closely monitored for hyperkalemia.  In addition, one should consider discontining potassium supplements prior to starting potassium-sparing diuretics to decrease the risk of hyperkalemia and avoid using these agents in patients with renal insufficiency. 

-Spironolactone an compelling indication for class 3 or 4 heart failure and postmyocardial infarction.  It is also one of the main treatments of ascites due to liver disease. Spironolactone is associated with gynecomastia.

Thiazide diuretics:  chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Hygroton), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, Hydrodiuril, Microzide, Esidrix), indapamide (Lozol) methyclothiazide (Aquatensen, Enduron) and metolazone (Mykrox, Zaroxolyn). 

-Thiazide diuretics are first line diuretics for treatment of hypertension and are also beneficial in the treatment of osteoporosis.  Some thiazide diuretics are combined with potassium sparing diuretics to decrease the risk of hypokalemia (e.g. Maxide which is hydrochlorothiazide combined with triamterene).

-Thiazide diuretics are associated with hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypophosphatemia and should be avoided in patients with hypercalcemia, and hyperuricemia. 

 

 

 
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