Pharmacological options to relieve congestion in acute heart failure

Although congestion is present in the large majority of patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (AHF), the pharmacological options to treat it remain poorly studied, with heterogeneity in real-world practices and outcomes. The best available evidence supports that patients with AHF and congestion should be initially treated with i.v. loop diuretics with their dose tailored to early (within 2-6 h) diuretic response, as assessed by spot urine sodium and/or hourly urine output. If diuretic response is sub-optimal, the next best steps seem to be increases in i.v. loop diuretics and addition of a thiazide and/or i.v. acetazolamide. Irrespective of the above, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors and spironolactone should be started in all patients with AHF as early as possible. Changes in serum creatinine in this scenario do not typically represent true worsening in renal function and should, thus, not lead to de-escalation of decongestion therapy.