Concentrated Saline Infusions and Increased Dietary Sodium With Diuretics for Heart Failure With Kidney Dysfunction

At present the standard management of fluid overload in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) involves limiting the intake of salt and water while administering high dose diuretics, often at the cost of deteriorating kidney function. However, another group of researchers has previously shown that intravenously infusing small volumes of concentrated saline during diuretic dosing and liberalizing dietary salt intake while continuing to limit water consumption resulted in improved fluid removal in CHF patients. Furthermore, less deterioration in kidney function, shorter hospitalizations, reduced readmission rates, and even reduced mortality were observed. The present study will examine this novel therapy in a population of 60 patients with underlying severe CHF and kidney dysfunction hospitalized for the management of fluid overload. Half of these patients will receive investigational treatment with concentrated salt infusions and liberalized salt consumption during diuretic therapy. All patients will otherwise receive the standard therapies for heart failure, including restrictions on water consumption. This study will attempt to verify the improvements in clinical endpoints previously described and define the mechanisms of enhanced fluid removal.