Intravenous salt supplementation with low-dose furosemide for treatment of acute decompensated heart failure

Abstract

Background: Theoretically, salt supplementation should promote diuresis through increasing the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) during treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) even with low-dose furosemide; however, there is little evidence to support this idea.

Methods and results: This was a prospective, randomized, open-label, controlled trial that compared the diuretic effectiveness of salt infusion with that of glucose infusion supplemented with low-dose furosemide in 44 consecutive patients with ADHF. Patients were randomly administered 1.7% hypertonic saline solution supplemented with 40 mg furosemide (salt infusion group) or glucose supplemented with 40 mg furosemide (glucose infusion group). Our major end points were 24-hour urinary volume and GFR. Urinary volume was greater in the salt infusion group than in the glucose infusion group (2,701 ± 920 vs 1,777 ± 797 mL; P < .001). There was no significant difference in the estimated GFR at baseline. Creatinine clearance for 24 h was greater in the salt infusion group than in the glucose infusion group (63.5 ± 52.6 vs 39.0 ± 26.3 mL min(-1) 1.73 m(-2); P = .048).

Conclusions: Salt supplementation rather than salt restriction evoked favorable diuresis through increasing GFR. The findings support an efficacious novel approach of the treatment of ADHF.

Keywords: Salt restriction; glomerular filtration rate; heart failure; loop diuretics.