RESUMO
Twenty-three optimally digitalized patients with congestive heart failure completed a 4-week treatment period with a fixed-drug association of 20 mg furosemide plus 50 mg spironolactone. Eleven patients responded with a 75% decrease in cardiac failure score on a daily dose of 1 capsule of the combination. The remaining 12 patients were initiated on the same dose, but needed, at the end of the first 14 days, an additional capsule (making a daily total of 40 mg furosemide and 100 mg spironolactone) over the next 2 weeks. On this dose, the patients achieved an average reduction of 52% in their cardiac failure score. There were no treatment failures. Electrolyte abnormalities and side-effects were not observed. The combination product, in a daily dose of 1 or 2 capsules, was found useful and well tolerated in the management of congestive heart failure.
Assuntos
Furosemida/uso terapêutico , Insuficiência Cardíaca/tratamento farmacológico , Espironolactona/uso terapêutico , Idoso , Glicosídeos Digitálicos/administração & dosagem , Combinação de Medicamentos/uso terapêutico , Quimioterapia Combinada , Ecocardiografia , Feminino , Insuficiência Cardíaca/metabolismo , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Seventeen non-digitalized congestive heart failure patients were treated with only the fixed-dose combinations of 20 mg furosemide and 50 mg spironolactone or 20 mg furosemide and 100 mg spironolactone, in a daily dose of 1 or 2 capsules, over a 4-week period. The selected patients had a severity rating ranging between Grades III and IV. Ten of these patients had a severe grade of dyspnoea. Assessments were made on the basis of the reduction in cardiac failure score, extent of reduction in oedema, and relief of dyspnoea. Safety variables measured included laboratory, echocardiographic and side-effect monitoring. By the end of the 4-week study period, significant reduction (46% to 51%) in cardiac score and complete relief of dyspnoea with no adverse effects on safety variables were recorded. These results indicate that it is possible to treat patients with congestive heart failure safely with the fixed-dose combination product without the concurrent use of digitalis.
