Diuretic usage and withdrawal patterns in a Dutch geriatric patient population

To describe diuretic usage and withdrawal patterns in a population of very old geriatric patients and to evaluate the long-term probability of remaining free from diuretic therapy after withdrawal.

Retrospective analysis of medical records and 1-year follow-up study.

University Hospital Nijmegen and Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem, a non-academic teaching hospital, The Netherlands.

All 1547 patients, aged 75 years or older, visiting geriatric medicine departments in the two hospitals for the first time in the years 1990 through 1993.

Data on medical history, physical examinations, and medication use were obtained from medical records. Diuretic withdrawal and motivation was recorded as reported. Record review indicating diuretic withdrawal prompted a 1-year follow-up investigation and collection of additional updated information from family care and/or nursing-home physicians.

A total of 593 three patients (38.3%) were using diuretics. Use of diuretics increased with age from 33.6% in patients aged 75 to 79 years to 47.4% in patients aged 90 years or older (P < .05). Diuretics were withdrawn in 218 patients (36.8%), in 101 patients because of doubts about the initial or persistent indication for diuretic use and in 91 patients because of adverse effects. No reasons for withdrawal were reported in 26 patients. Withdrawal of diuretics was attempted more often in cases of diuretic prescriptions for unknown reasons (51.2%) or ankle edema without heart failure (45.0%) than when prescriptions were for heart failure (28.5%) or hypertension (35.4%). The overall probability of remaining free of diuretic therapy for 1 year was 0.41. Success of diuretic withdrawal was significantly less when congestive heart failure was the initial indication for prescription (probability 0.24). We did not find other clinical parameters related to the success of withdrawal.

Our study demonstrates that diuretic therapy can be withdrawn for at least a 1-year period in a substantial number of very old geriatric patients receiving these medications, regardless of the initial indications for prescription. However, withdrawal is performed without application of uniform criteria. Future prospective studies should be directed at developing clear guidelines for diuretic withdrawal in order to facilitate identification of eligible patients and to further improve the success of withdrawal attempts.