How is fluid overload treated?

Heart failure patients typically are treated with diuretic drugs, but this generally doesn't work well. Most hospitalizations for heart failure result from fluid overload, according to the largest national heart failure registry, which is called the Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry (ADHERE).

An estimated 90 percent of heart failure patients in the registry who are hospitalized received intravenous diuretic drugs. However, records show that many who have been discharged from the hospital still had symptoms of fluid overload. Persistent fluid overload may explain a high rate of hospital readmissions by patients in this group.