Chlorothiazide
Encyclopedia
Chlorothiazide sodium is a diuretic
used within the hospital setting or for personal use to manage excess fluid associated with congestive heart failure
. It is also used as an antihypertensive
.
Most often taken in pill form, it is usually taken orally once or twice a day. In the ICU
setting, chlorothiazide is given to diurese a patient in addition to furosemide
(Lasix). Working in a separate mechanism than furosemide, and absorbed enterically as a reconstituted suspension administered through a nasogastric tube
(NG tube), the two drugs potentiate one another without risk of toxicity. Because it is absorbed enterically there are no risks associated with chlorothiazide as there are with furosemide administration.
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
used within the hospital setting or for personal use to manage excess fluid associated with congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
. It is also used as an antihypertensive
Antihypertensive
The antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension . Evidence suggests that reduction of the blood pressure by 5 mmHg can decrease the risk of stroke by 34%, of ischaemic heart disease by 21%, and reduce the likelihood of dementia, heart failure, and mortality from...
.
Most often taken in pill form, it is usually taken orally once or twice a day. In the ICU
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
setting, chlorothiazide is given to diurese a patient in addition to furosemide
Furosemide
Furosemide or frusemide is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and edema. It is most commonly marketed by Sanofi-Aventis under the brand name Lasix...
(Lasix). Working in a separate mechanism than furosemide, and absorbed enterically as a reconstituted suspension administered through a nasogastric tube
Nasogastric intubation
Nasogastric intubation is a medical process involving the insertion of a plastic tube through the nose, past the throat, and down into the stomach.-Uses:...
(NG tube), the two drugs potentiate one another without risk of toxicity. Because it is absorbed enterically there are no risks associated with chlorothiazide as there are with furosemide administration.
Indications
- Large amount of excess fluid including:
- Diagnosed congested heart failure
- Peripheral edemaPeripheral edemaPeripheral edema is the swelling of tissues, usually in the lower limbs, due to the accumulation of fluids.The condition is commonly associated with aging, but can be caused by many other conditions, including congestive heart failure, trauma, alcoholism, altitude sickness, pregnancy,...
- RalesRalesCrackles, crepitations, or rales are the clicking, rattling, or crackling noises that may be made by one or both lungs of a human with a respiratory disease during inhalation. They are often heard only with a stethoscope...
/ RhonchiRhonchiRhonchi is the coarse rattling sound somewhat like snoring, usually caused by secretion in bronchial airways. Rhonchi is the plural form of the singular word rhonchus.-Description:... - HypertensionHypertensionHypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
Dose
- 500 mg–1 g once or twice a day, by mouth or through NG tube (reconstituted suspension)
- May also be given intravenously, and should be given first if given in combination with IV lasix since it potentiate's the diuretic effect of furosemide.
Side effects
- NauseaNauseaNausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
/ VomitingVomitingVomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose... - HeadacheHeadacheA headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
- DizzinessDizzinessDizziness refers to an impairment in spatial perception and stability. The term is somewhat imprecise. It can be used to mean vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, or a non-specific feeling such as giddiness or foolishness....
- Excess urine productionPolyuriaPolyuria is a condition usually defined as excessive or abnormally large production or passage of urine . Frequent urination is sometimes included by definition, but is nonetheless usually an accompanying symptom...
- DehydrationDehydrationIn physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
- HypoelectrolytemiaElectrolyte disturbanceElectrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They help to regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance and much more. Electrolyte imbalances can develop by the following mechanisms: excessive ingestion; diminished...
(esp. hypokalemiaHypokalemiaHypokalemia or hypokalaemia , also hypopotassemia or hypopotassaemia , refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low...
/ hypomagnesia)