Concentrated Saline Infusions and Increased Dietary Sodium With Diuretics for Heart Failure With Kidney Dysfunction
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2008-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
At present the standard management of fluid overload in patients with congestive heart
failure (CHF) involves limiting the intake of salt and water while administering high dose
diuretics, often at the cost of deteriorating kidney function. However, another group of
researchers has previously shown that intravenously infusing small volumes of concentrated
saline during diuretic dosing and liberalizing dietary salt intake while continuing to limit
water consumption resulted in improved fluid removal in CHF patients. Furthermore, less
deterioration in kidney function, shorter hospitalizations, reduced readmission rates, and
even reduced mortality were observed. The present study will examine this novel therapy in a
population of 60 patients with underlying severe CHF and kidney dysfunction hospitalized for
the management of fluid overload. Half of these patients will receive investigational
treatment with concentrated salt infusions and liberalized salt consumption during diuretic
therapy. All patients will otherwise receive the standard therapies for heart failure,
including restrictions on water consumption. This study will attempt to verify the
improvements in clinical endpoints previously described and define the mechanisms of enhanced
fluid removal.