[The kidney and diuretics].

In an experiment carried out on 5 awake dogs with different size of the kidney could be shown that the diuretic effect of the xanthines is only slight and depends on the number of nephrons got. The application of thiazides, which possess a long-term effect, is indicated only up to a value of the creatinine clearance of about 25 ml/min/1.73 m2. At the beginning retention of the substances contained in the urine furosemide can still be used in high doses. In 18 patients with values of serum creatinine between 2-20 mg/100 ml also with a dosage up to 500 mg furosemide within 24 hours the Na+-concentration in the urine did not exceed a value of 90 mval/l. These findings are explained in the sense of the proof of a limit of the possibilities of a conservative treatment of the chronic renal insufficiency with furosemide.