ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DIURETIC USE, CLINICAL-RESPONSE, AND DEATH IN ACUTE HEART-FAILURE

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is common,(1,2) particularly among the elderly, and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. (2,3) Diminished responsiveness to the clinical effect of diuretic dru gs is known to complicate the treatment of this syndrome.(4) The impac t of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on mortality in CHF is k nown(5,6); the effect of digitalis has been studied more recently.(7) However, little is known about the association between diuretic use, c linical response to these agents, and clinical outcomes. To better und erstand the association between diuretic response during the subacute period of hospitalization and outcomes, we examined the medical record s of patients hospitalized for evaluation and treatment of CHF.