Heart Failure Patients May Not Need Severe Water Restrictions Anymore

Another long-standing Cardiology sacred cow might need to be discarded.

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I can recall hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients being so thirsty that they stole water from their sinks to drink. Thanks to a recent study, this fluid intake enforcement may not be needed as stringently as before. Traditionally, and most often in hospitalized patients, those with heart failure are written for a fluid restriction of only 1500 ml (50 ounces) per day.

Think about that for a moment. Fifty ounces is approximately six 8-ounce glasses of water—this sounds like a lot. However, it includes all other fluids, such as coffee, tea, juice, soup, soda, shakes, and intravenous solutions. Few patients tolerate this, and nurses have difficulty tracking, much less enforcing it.

Why Are Fluids Restricted In Heart Failure?

Heart failure occurs when any disease causes the heart muscle to fail in its only task—pumping blood to the entire body. When this happens, blood backs up into the lungs and other areas of the body. Since blood is 50% water, and the liquid part of blood, known as plasma, is 95% water, the body and lungs hold onto extra water.