• Carla Rodriguez-Cillero, Didier Menu, Philippe d'Athis, Sophie Perrin, Mélanie Dipanda, Sanaa Asgassou, Hélène Guepet, Emmanuel Mazen, Patrick Manckoundia, and Alain Putot.
• Department of Geriatric Medicine, University Hospital, Dijon, France.
• Int. J. Clin. Pract. 2017 Aug 1; 71 (8).

ObjectiveLittle is known about furosemide prescription modalities in elderly people. We describe furosemide prescription in ambulatory elderly patients.MethodsAll patients aged over 80 years, affiliated to Mutualité Sociale Agricole de Bourgogne, a French regional health insurance plan, with a medical prescription delivered in March 2015, were retrospectively included.ResultsAmong 15 141 patients with a median age of 86 years, comprising 61.3% of women, 3937 patients (26%) had a prescription for furosemide. Severe heart failure was the most common chronic comorbidity (27.7%). Furosemide was considered a long-term therapy for almost all patients (98.7% with prescriptions for 3 months or more). Recommended indications for long-term furosemide therapy included severe heart failure (50.9%), chronic nephropathy (3%) and cirrhosis (0.1%). The furosemide prescription rate increased with age (81-85: 20.4%, 86-90: 28.5%, 91-95: 35.6%, >95: 42.7%, P<.001), and the increase was associated with a decrease in recommended heart failure therapeutics (beta-blockers, angiotensin-conversion-enzyme-inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor-blockers). Prescribers were mostly general practitioners (81.3%). Plasma electrolytes were controlled in less than a half of the patients with furosemide.ConclusionsIn this large study, long-course furosemide was prescribed in a quarter of ambulatory patients. Half of those taking furosemide suffered from severe heart failure. Age was associated with a linear increase in furosemide use and a decrease in recommended heart failure therapeutic prescriptions. A large part of these prescriptions do not seem to be in accordance with recommendations.© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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