Diuretics

This study evaluates whether natriuresis-guided diuretic therapy improves outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) and severe congestion. All patients hospitalized with AHF will be screened using Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS) and randomized 1:1 to either natriuresis-guided escalation of loop diuretics or standard care. The primary endpoint, evaluated in patients with VExUS grade 3 (severe congestion), is a hierarchical composite (win ratio) of 90-day mortality, 90-day rehospitalization, and hospital length of stay. Key secondary endpoints (hierarchical) include (1) difference in win ratio between patients with VExUS 3 versus VExUS 0-2 at hospital admission (assessed by interaction testing and statistically tested only if the primary endpoint is significant) and (2) win ratio (primary endpoint) tested among patients with VExUS 0-2 at hospital admission (statistically tested only if the first key seconday endpoint is significant). Exploratory endpoints include in-hospital clinical, hemodynamic, and biochemical outcomes (mortality, eGFR, NT-proBNP, NYHA class, VExUS score, natriuresis/diuresis, and patient-reported dyspnea), associations between congestion markers (VExUS, FibroScan, lung ultrasound, clinical score, and NT-proBNP), as well as quality of life at 90 days, GDMT optimization score at discharge, and long-term time to readmission and mortality assessed through registry linkage.

Heart failure is a chronic condition that causes congestion and frequent hospitalizations. Diuretic doses are usually adjusted based on clinical judgment without an objective measure of response. This study will test the feasibility of using point-of-care urine sodium measurements to guide up-titration or down-titration of loop diuretics in ambulatory patients with heart failure. Participants will be assigned to one of three groups based on congestion status. Groups 1 and 2 will be randomized 1:1 to natriuresis-guided therapy or standard care. Group 3 will be observational. The 90-day pilot trial will evaluate feasibility, clinical outcomes, and usability of a urine sodium-guided titration strategy.

In critical care, hemodynamic instability often requires volume expansion to restore tissue perfusion, increasing fluid balance and TBW, factors associated with higher mortality. Excess fluid leads to organ dysfunction due to venous congestion, making fluid removal crucial. When diuretics fail, RRT, typically through continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), is recommended. However, prescribing the correct level of UF is challenging; insufficient UF can worsen edema, while excessive UF risks hemodynamic instability. This pilot, single-center, prospective, interventional, randomized, controlled, open-label study includes two parallel groups: a standard group with UF prescribed by the physician based on clinical and hemodynamic status and an experimental group with UF guided by the extracellular to total body water (ECW/TBWat) ratio measured by BIA. The aim is to determine if ECW/TBW-guided UF improves fluid and TBW reduction over a 72-hour RRT period.