Diuretics
Medication class detail with safety cues and nursing action focus.
CardiacRenal / Urinary / Electrolytesneeds review
Diuretics
Examples: furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, spironolactone, mannitol
Mechanism
Moves fluid out through the kidneys; the exact electrolyte effect depends on the class.
Used for
- Fluid overload
- Heart failure
- Hypertension
- Increased ICP for mannitol
Side effects
- Dehydration
- Hypotension
- Electrolyte shifts
- Ototoxicity risk with loop diuretics
Nursing actions
- Track weight, intake and output, blood pressure, and electrolytes.
- Give early in the day when possible to reduce nighttime voiding.
- Know potassium-wasting versus potassium-sparing effects.
Hold / question cues
- Severe dehydration
- Critical potassium abnormality
- Symptomatic hypotension
Antidote / reversal
- No routine class-specific antidote or reversal agent is seeded for this class; hold/question unsafe doses, support ABCs, notify the provider, and use facility or poison-control guidance for toxicity.
NCLEX pearl
- Loop loses K; spironolactone spares K; mannitol pulls water.