[Acute effects of bumetanide in healthy subjects. A comparative study with furosemide (author's transl)]

A comparative test on the efficacy of bumetanide and furosemide was made in ten healthy individuals. The effect on diuresis and urinary excretion of ions and metabolites after the acute oral administration of 1 mg bumetanide and 40 mg furosemide was observed. From the results of the experiment it can be concluded that the effectiveness of bumetanide is about 15 percent superior to that of furosemide with a later but more sustained effect. The excretion of Na and K was similar with both compounds but the chloruresis was more intense with furosemide. Although the excretion of uric acid was increased too, it was proportionally less than the increase of the diuresis obtained with both drugs. A noticeable increase of the urinary excretion of calcium caused by bumetanide stands out. The authors suggest its possible therapeutic usefulness in patients with hypercalcemia as well as its possible mechanism of action on the reabsorption of calcium. In every case tolerance of both drugs was good and there were no signs of toxicity or adverse side effects. Generally speaking the doses of 1 mg bumetanide and 40 mg furosemide were judged to be equally powerful.