Ten patients (eight male/two female) with advanced dilated cardiomyopathy (NYHA III/IV) and a mean fractional shortening in two-dimensional echocardiogram of 20% (9 to 30%) and a mean sodium excretion of 21 mmol (8 to 40 mmol) per day, pretreated with digoxin, captopril and a mean frusemide-dose of 147 mg (80 to 500 mg) without an effective diuresis, were additional treated with 2.5 to 5 mg oral metolazone daily. All patients had a brisk diuresis within 24 hours and a mean weight loss of 8.9 kg (3 to 20 kg) until discharge. All patients improved considerably by additional metolazone-therapy. Seven patients developed a mild hyponatraemia (122 to 132 mmol/l), seven showed mild (greater than or equal to 3.2 mmol/l) and one had a serious hypokalaemia (2.8 mmol/l); spironolactone-pretreated patients developed no hypokalaemia. Notably none of the patients had serious blood pressure fluctuation or a deterioration of renal function. To avoid severe electrolyte-disturbances, additional metolazone-therapy should be practised in hospital, preferring low-dose metolazone and reducing frusemide-dose under careful biochemical monitoring after diuresis is started.
