Patient was educated on thiazide diuretics and their mechanism of action as below:
- Thiazide diuretics are diuretics that act on the distal convoluted tubule, a part of the renal tubule, involved in the reabsorption of water and solutes from the urine.
- Thiazide diuretics inhibit the reabsorption of water and three important salts- sodium, potassium, and magnesium from the urine, which results in increased excretion and loss of water and these three salts in the urine. Chloride also is lost passively in urine along with sodium.
- Thiazide diuretics also result in increased reabsorption of calcium from the urine into the blood, resulting in increased blood levels of calcium.
- By inhibiting reabsorption of water and solutes in the kidney and promoting their loss in the urine, thiazide diuretics help with situations of fluid overload in the body, such as, compromise in cardiac, renal and liver functions, resulting in fluid backup and edema.
- Thiazide diuretics are weak diuretics in comparison to potent diuretics, such as, loop diuretics and so, can be used in mild edematous states.
- Reduced fluid volume in the body can help reduce the blood pressure.
- By reducing fluid overload in the body and the blood pressure, thiazide 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, thiazide diuretics can also help with reducing risk for stroke and progression of renal failure.
