Does Baseline Diuretics Use Affect Prognosis in Patients With COVID-19?

Nirmal Guragai1, Rahul Vasudev1, Kevin Hosein1

  • 1Cardiology, St Joseph University Medical Center, Paterson, USA.

Cureus
|July 19, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Prior use of diuretics did not impact COVID-19 patient outcomes. This study found no significant difference in mortality or illness severity after adjusting for confounding factors in coronavirus disease 2019 patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic presents a global healthcare challenge.
  • Previous research explored angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in COVID-19.
  • The impact of prior diuretic use on COVID-19 patient mortality was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of baseline diuretic use on mortality and illness severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
  • To analyze the association between diuretic use and in-hospital survival rates for coronavirus disease 2019.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study conducted in three Northern New Jersey hospitals from March 15, 2020, to April 30, 2020.
  • Included 313 patients admitted with COVID-19, comparing outcomes between those taking diuretics and those not.
  • Primary outcome: in-hospital mortality; Secondary outcome: COVID-19 illness severity.

Main Results:

  • Unadjusted analysis showed higher mortality (57.35% vs 37.96%) and severe illness (79.41% vs 47.35%) in patients taking diuretics.
  • After adjusting for confounding factors, no significant difference in mortality or severity was observed between the groups.
  • The p-value for mortality difference was 0.0042, and for severe illness was <.0001 in unadjusted analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Baseline use of diuretics has no discernible effect on the prognosis of COVID-19.
  • The study suggests that diuretics do not influence mortality or severity in patients admitted with coronavirus disease 2019.
  • Further research may be warranted to confirm these findings in diverse patient populations.

Related Concept Videos

Heart Failure Drugs: Diuretics01:22

Heart Failure Drugs: Diuretics

Heart failure and kidney perfusion are interconnected in a complex way. Reduced renal perfusion and venous congestion are two significant factors that contribute to renal dysfunction in heart failure. The kidneys, primarily responsible for fluid balance in the body, are adversely affected due to compromised cardiac output and increased venous pressure. In response to reduced renal perfusion, the kidneys activate neurohumoral mechanisms to restore balance. However, these mechanisms can be...
559
Heart Failure V: Medical Management01:30

Heart Failure V: Medical Management

Medical Management of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (ADHF)The primary goals of therapy for patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) include:Relieving symptomsOptimizing volume statusSupporting oxygenation and ventilationMaintaining cardiac output (CO) and end-organ perfusionIdentifying and addressing the cause of ADHFPreventing complicationsProviding patient education on factors precipitating HF exacerbationPlanning for dischargeOngoing monitoring and assessment...
57
Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Diuretics01:16

Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Diuretics

Diuretics are antihypertensive drugs used to treat hypertension resulting from sodium and water retention. Sodium, vital for fluid balance and nerve or muscle function, is regulated by the kidneys through millions of nephrons. Blood enters nephrons via afferent arterioles, which branch into capillaries called glomeruli. These filter blood plasma, allowing water and solutes, like sodium ions, to pass through capillary walls into Bowman's capsule. The filtrate then flows through various...
1.8K
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System01:26

Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System

The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to cardiac remodeling, and inhibiting the RAAS is a pharmacological target in heart failure management. As a result, neurohumoral modulation is a crucial treatment principle for managing heart failure. This approach involves using medications like ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and neutral...
606
Antihypertensive Drugs: Potassium-Sparing Diuretics01:28

Antihypertensive Drugs: Potassium-Sparing Diuretics

Liddle syndrome is a genetically inherited form of hypertension characterized by the overactivity of epithelial sodium channels in the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney. This heightened activity leads to increased sodium reabsorption and excessive excretion of potassium. To counteract this, potassium-sparing diuretics such as amiloride are used. They function by blocking these sodium channels, thereby reducing the influx of sodium into the epithelial cells and minimizing the loss of...
1.7K
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies01:22

Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies

Additional therapies for treating patients with heart failure (HF) may include procedural interventions, supplemental oxygen, the management of sleep disorders, and nutritional therapy.Procedural InterventionsImplantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: For patients at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias due to severe left ventricular dysfunction, an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) can detect and terminate these arrhythmias, preventing sudden cardiac death and improving survival rates.
66