Loop Diuretic Dosage in Patients With Acute Heart Failure and Renal Failure: Conventional Versus Carbohydrate Antigen 125-guided Therapy (IMPROVE-HF)

Worsening renal function (WRF) is a frequent finding in patients with decompensated acute heart failure (AHF) and it is associated to increased length of hospitalization and higher morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, WRF in AHF setting has been attributed to low cardiac output, but recent evidence also suggests venous congestion play a crucial role. Loop diuretics are the mainstay treatment of AHF, but their use traditionally has been associated to WRF, but also renal function improvement in patients with unequivocal signs of congestion. Nevertheless, traditional symptoms or signs of patients with AHF have shown a limited accuracy to neither identify nor quantify the degree of venous congestion. Recent authors have reported that plasma levels of antigen carbohydrate 125 (CA125) are closely related to the degree of venous congestion. The investigators hypothesize that CA125 may have a role for identifying the hyperhydrated (High CA125) patients that need high loop diuretic doses, and those with normal CA125 values needing low loop diuretic doses. In this randomized study (1:1) the investigators seek to evaluate whether a CA125 loop diuretic guided management therapy is superior to a standard strategy. The primary endpoint is the magnitude of changes of renal function at 24 and 72 hours after initiation of intravenous diuretic in an acute worsening of heart failure