Diuretics are drugs which cause increased urine production, ie, water and sodium loss. They are used to reduce preload in congestive heart failure and for life threatening situations like pulmonary and cerebral oedema. Most act by increasing sodium ion concentration in the urine and thus drawing water out too. Only frusemide (furosemide USAN) is commonly used, the others are occasionally used in specific situations.
Loop diuretics - frusemide - most commonly
used drug by far
Thiazides - hydrochlorthiazide
Potassium sparing diuretics - amiloride,
triamterene, spironalactone
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors - acetazolamide
Osmotic diuretics - mannitol, glycerine
Drugs acting in the proximal convoluted tubule
Drugs acting in the loop of Henle
Drugs acting in the early distal convoluted
tubule
Drugs acting in the late distal tubule / collecting
duct
diagram
