Patient was educated on loop diuretics and their mechanism of action as follows:
- Loop diuretics are diuretics that act on the loop of Henle, a part of the kidney, involved in the reabsorption of water and solutes from the urine.
- Loop diuretics inhibit the reabsorption of water and five important salts- sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium from the urine, which results in increased excretion and loss of water and these five salts in the urine.
- By inhibiting reabsorption of water and solutes in the kidney and promoting their loss in the urine, loop diuretics help with situations of fluid overload in the body, such as, edema and compromise of renal and liver functions, and diffuse lymphedema.
- Reduced fluid volume in the body can help reduce the blood pressure.
- By reducing fluid overload in the body and the blood pressure, loop diuretics can also help with reducing the workload on the heart. Reducing the workload on the heart can contribute towards improving the efficiency of cardiac function in individuals with heart failure.
- By reducing fluid overload in the body and the blood pressure, loop diuretics can also help with reducing risk for stroke and progression of renal failure.
