Question

The nurse is providing discharge instructions to an older adult client with heart failure. The client asks, "What is the purpose for taking the furosemide?" How should the nurse respond?

A
It will protect your kidneys from chronic damage.
B
It will reverse the damage to your heart muscle.
C
It will help with reducing the risk for an irregular heart rhythm.
D
It will help with decreasing fluid buildup in your lungs.

Answer 1

Furosemide is used to reduce fluid buildup in the lungs by increasing urine production, aiding in the management of heart failure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The purpose of taking furosemide, a loop diuretic, is to help manage heart failure by decreasing fluid buildup in your lungs and other parts of the body. Furosemide works by inhibiting the reabsorption of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle, which is part of the nephron in the kidneys.

By blocking this reabsorption, more water is excreted as urine, reducing fluid congestion and helping improve symptoms of heart failure.