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Heart failure - chronic - Management
How should I manage the person while they are waiting to see a specialist?
- If possible, stop any drugs that may affect the person's heart failure, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (including those bought over the counter) or calcium-channel blockers.
- If symptoms are sufficiently severe to warrant treatment (but not admission), start a loop diuretic:
- Furosemide 20 mg/day to 40 mg/day.
- Bumetanide 0.5 mg/day to 1.0 mg/day.
- Torasemide 5 mg/day to 10 mg/day.
- If higher doses are required to relieve the person's symptoms adequately, check adherence to treatment, review the differential diagnosis, and seek specialist advice.
- Seek specialist advise for pregnant women before initiating any drug treatments.
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