Furosemide, a New Diuretic in Edematous States

Abstract

Furosemide, a new anthranilic acid diuretic, has been studied extensively during the last two to three years.^1-4 It has been demonstrated that furosemide is a potent drug with a wide margin of safety and a diuretic response superior to that of hydrochlorothiazide.^5,6 This paper reports on the usefulness of this diuretic in the treatment of edematous states secondary to congestive heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver. Materials and Methods Thirty patients with congestive heart failure admitted to the medical ward of the New York Polyclinic Hospital were initially treated with a regimen of complete bed rest, a diet containing 20 mEq of sodium and full digitalization until a steady weight was reached. Twenty-two achieved an edema-free state and were excluded from further study. The remaining eight patients reached a stable weight with this regimen with significant residual fluid retention. Nine patients with advanced cirrhosis of the liver