The use of certain drugs (steroids, diuretics) was also a reason for exclusion.
Various studies have investigated the risk factors for falls in hospitals [ 3, 9], identifying these as including advanced age, agitation, confusion or disorientation, generalized muscle and/or leg weakness, unstable gait, urinary incontinence, a history of previous falls, visual deficit or the use of certain medications (hypnotics, sedatives, vasodilators, diuretics, antidepressants, etc).
The use of certain pesticides is controversial.
Weinberg reported a 59% reduction in the probability of hyperkalaemia with the use of diuretics; however, thiazide diuretics, not loop diuretics, were found to contribute the most to this effect [ 10].
8 10 The disease is heritable, as suggested by familial clustering of the disease; 11 20 however, the existence of many known risk factors, such as male gender, increasing age, 21 22 obesity, 23 chronic renal impairment, 24 hypertension, 25 26 long-term use of diuretics 27 and certain diets with high purine 28 and alcohol, 29 also supports a strong environmental contribution.
Not surprisingly, this predictive ability was negatively influenced by the use of diuretics; however, the renal response on diuretics by itself was not considered a potential predictor.
Diuretics: any use of diuretics.
The traditional approach to the treatment of such cases involves restriction of free water intake [12], use of loop diuretics [13], demeclocycline [14], osmotic diuretics, such as urea [15] or intravenous administration of normal or hypertonic saline [16].
Although few data support the continuous use of loop diuretics in apparently euvolemic HF patients with mild symptoms, there is concern about safety of diuretic withdrawal in these patients.
