Bumetanide vs. Furosemide in Cirrhosis

Patients with cirrhosis are frequently hospitalized due to an acute decompensation of their liver disease including bleeding, jaundice, encephalopathy, and volume overload. Volume overload is associated with increased mortality from acute hypoxic respiratory failure, hemorrhage from esophageal varices, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Clinical practice guidelines describe sodium restriction and diuretics as first-line treatment, combined with regular body weight monitoring to assess response. In patients with suboptimal response to furosemide, alternative loop diuretics like torsemide or bumetanide may improve natriuresis. Bumetanide has a theoretic advantage over furosemide due to its more rapid and complete intestinal absorption, combined with a prolonged half-life in patients with hepatic dysfunction. In this pragmatic study, the aim is to compare the efficacy of diuresis with bumetanide versus furosemide among hospitalized patients with cirrhosis.