[Metabolic and acid-base changes in intensive diuretic therapy in heart failure]

A group of 65 patients with advanced heart failure was examined with the aim to disclose changes in serum glucose, creatinine, potassium, chloride, and acid-base balance under the influence of intensive diuretic therapy. 50 patients were treated with ordinary furosemide and amiloride combination (average observation time 25 days), in 15 cases amiloride was replaced by captopril 75-150 mg/day (average observation 15.5 days). The results are as follows: 1. We found no rise of glycaemia in non-diabetics with either ordinary diuretic therapy or captopril. On the contrary: stress hyperglycaemia in the beginning of the therapy normalized in the course of it. 2. There was a significant rise of serum creatinine during the first two weeks of therapy with furosemide and amiloride. Reversal of this trend followed after captopril. 3. There was no fall in the average serum chloride concentration during ordinary diuretic therapy. Adding captopril to the regime brought about a rise in serum chloride. 4. Serum potassium had no tendency to fall either after furosemide and amiloride or furosemide and captopril. 5. The acid-base balance showed no shift towards metabolic alkalosis during an intensive but rational diuretic regime either with or without captopril. On the contrary: mild initial metabolic alkalosis had a tendency to normalize with proceeding cardiac compensation.