The Effect of Early Aggressive Diuresis on Hospital Length of Stay in Acute Congestive Heart Failure.

Background: Diuresis is the mainstay of treatment during hospitalization for patients admitted with congestive heart failure (CHF). Hospital length of stay (LOS) is considered an important patient outcome for CHF patients; previous studies comparing higher rates of diuresis (aggressive) versus relatively lower rates (nonaggressive) on patient outcomes have shown contradicting results. In fact, no specific guidelines to direct diuretic therapy exist.