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Description of self-reported fluid intake and its effects on body weight, symptoms, quality of life and physical capacity in patients with stable chronic heart failure.

Holst, Marie ; Strömberg, Anna ; Lindholm, Maud and Willenheimer, Ronnie LU (2008) In Journal of Clinical Nursing 17(17). p.2318-2326
Abstract
AIM: To describe the self-reported fluid intake and its effects on body weight, signs and symptoms of heart failure, quality of life, physical capacity and thirst, in patients with stabilised chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic heart failure are often recommended a fluid restriction of 1.5 l/day but there is no evidence in the literature for this recommendation and little is known about the fluid intake consequences. DESIGN: Crossover study. METHODS: Chronic heart failure patients, clinically stabilised after an unstable state, were randomised to a 32-week cross-over study assessing the clinical importance of fluid prescription. In a secondary analysis of 63 patients, efficacy variables were analysed in relation to the... (More)
AIM: To describe the self-reported fluid intake and its effects on body weight, signs and symptoms of heart failure, quality of life, physical capacity and thirst, in patients with stabilised chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic heart failure are often recommended a fluid restriction of 1.5 l/day but there is no evidence in the literature for this recommendation and little is known about the fluid intake consequences. DESIGN: Crossover study. METHODS: Chronic heart failure patients, clinically stabilised after an unstable state, were randomised to a 32-week cross-over study assessing the clinical importance of fluid prescription. In a secondary analysis of 63 patients, efficacy variables were analysed in relation to the self-reported median fluid intake of 19 ml/kg body weight/day. RESULTS: The mean fluid intake was 16 ml/kg/day in the below-median group and 24 ml/kg/day in the above-median group. No between-group differences were found in change in body weight, signs and symptoms, diuretic use, quality of life or physical capacity. However, the above-median group significantly decreased sense of thirst and difficulties to adhere to the fluid prescription compared with the below-median group. CONCLUSION: In clinically stabilised chronic heart failure patients on optimal pharmacological treatment, a larger fluid intake was associated with decreasing thirst without any measurable negative effects on signs and symptoms of heart failure, diuretic use or physical capacity. Thus, a more liberal fluid intake may be advisable in chronic heart failure patients who have been stabilised after an initial unstable clinical state. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses involved in the care for patients with heart failure known how troublesome thirst can be and how difficult it can be to follow a restricted fluid intake. This study indicates that it is possible to reassess and recommend a less strict fluid intake in stabilised patients with chronic heart failure. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Clinical Nursing
volume
17
issue
17
pages
2318 - 2326
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000258405800011
  • pmid:18705707
  • scopus:49749097222
  • pmid:18705707
ISSN
1365-2702
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02295.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
09cdc427-7162-46c1-8ace-7979ca0deadc (old id 1223196)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18705707?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:27:14
date last changed
2022-01-29 17:54:45
@article{09cdc427-7162-46c1-8ace-7979ca0deadc,
  abstract     = {{AIM: To describe the self-reported fluid intake and its effects on body weight, signs and symptoms of heart failure, quality of life, physical capacity and thirst, in patients with stabilised chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic heart failure are often recommended a fluid restriction of 1.5 l/day but there is no evidence in the literature for this recommendation and little is known about the fluid intake consequences. DESIGN: Crossover study. METHODS: Chronic heart failure patients, clinically stabilised after an unstable state, were randomised to a 32-week cross-over study assessing the clinical importance of fluid prescription. In a secondary analysis of 63 patients, efficacy variables were analysed in relation to the self-reported median fluid intake of 19 ml/kg body weight/day. RESULTS: The mean fluid intake was 16 ml/kg/day in the below-median group and 24 ml/kg/day in the above-median group. No between-group differences were found in change in body weight, signs and symptoms, diuretic use, quality of life or physical capacity. However, the above-median group significantly decreased sense of thirst and difficulties to adhere to the fluid prescription compared with the below-median group. CONCLUSION: In clinically stabilised chronic heart failure patients on optimal pharmacological treatment, a larger fluid intake was associated with decreasing thirst without any measurable negative effects on signs and symptoms of heart failure, diuretic use or physical capacity. Thus, a more liberal fluid intake may be advisable in chronic heart failure patients who have been stabilised after an initial unstable clinical state. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses involved in the care for patients with heart failure known how troublesome thirst can be and how difficult it can be to follow a restricted fluid intake. This study indicates that it is possible to reassess and recommend a less strict fluid intake in stabilised patients with chronic heart failure.}},
  author       = {{Holst, Marie and Strömberg, Anna and Lindholm, Maud and Willenheimer, Ronnie}},
  issn         = {{1365-2702}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{17}},
  pages        = {{2318--2326}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Clinical Nursing}},
  title        = {{Description of self-reported fluid intake and its effects on body weight, symptoms, quality of life and physical capacity in patients with stable chronic heart failure.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02295.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02295.x}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}