A patient taking furosemide for heart failure should also be prescribed which medication?

A patient taking furosemide for heart failure should also be prescribed which medication?

• A. Tenecteplase
• B. Amitriptyline
• C. Phytonadione
• D. Potassium Chloride

Answer: (D)

Patients taking furosemide, which is a loop diuretic, often require additional medication to address the electrolyte imbalances that can occur as a result of diuretic therapy. Furosemide promotes significant diuresis, leading to increased excretion of not only water but also electrolytes, particularly potassium. This can result in hypokalemia, a condition characterized by low levels of potassium in the blood, which can have serious consequences, including muscle weakness, arrhythmias, and other cardiovascular issues. Consequently, prescribing potassium chloride to a patient on furosemide helps to replenish potassium levels, preventing or correcting hypokalemia. This is crucial for maintaining normal cardiac function and overall electrolyte balance. In contrast, the other medications listed do not serve this purpose: Tenecteplase is used for dissolving blood clots and is unrelated to heart failure treatment, Amitriptyline is primarily an antidepressant and can have side effects that may worsen heart failure symptoms, and Phytonadione, or vitamin K, is used to treat or prevent bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency but does not have a role in managing potassium levels affected by diuretic use.

Patients taking furosemide, which is a loop diuretic, often require additional medication to address the electrolyte imbalances that can occur as a result of diuretic therapy. Furosemide promotes significant diuresis, leading to increased excretion of not only water but also electrolytes, particularly potassium. This can result in hypokalemia, a condition characterized by low levels of potassium in the blood, which can have serious consequences, including muscle weakness, arrhythmias, and other cardiovascular issues.

Consequently, prescribing potassium chloride to a patient on furosemide helps to replenish potassium levels, preventing or correcting hypokalemia. This is crucial for maintaining normal cardiac function and overall electrolyte balance.

In contrast, the other medications listed do not serve this purpose: Tenecteplase is used for dissolving blood clots and is unrelated to heart failure treatment, Amitriptyline is primarily an antidepressant and can have side effects that may worsen heart failure symptoms, and Phytonadione, or vitamin K, is used to treat or prevent bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency but does not have a role in managing potassium levels affected by diuretic use.