Haemodynamics and renal function following injection of bumetanide

Haemodynamics and renal function have been investigated in 12 patients with valvular heart disease before and after injection of 2 mg bumetanide in the right heart catheter. There were no significant changes in oxygen consumption, arteriovenous oxygen difference, cardiac index, heart beats per minute, stroke volume or right and left ventricular stroke work 35 min after the injection, whereas pulmonary and systemic arteriolar resistance showed a slight but insignificant reduction. Mean pulmonary capillary venous pressure, left ventricular end-diatolic pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure and mean pressure in the right atrium were highly significantly reduced after injection, systolic left ventricular pressure showing a significant but slight decrease. The creatinine and urea clearances increased considerably during the first 50 min after injection of bumetanide, but diminished during the second period to levels somewhat lower than the initial values. There was also a marked increase in the clearance of sodium potassium, calcium, magnisium and phosphate. It is concluded that bumetanide is a very potent diuretic which changes haemodynamic parameters towards normal values.