CONTENT 

LIST OF TAKE HOME DIURETICS

1.       The take home diuretics are:

a.      Diuril  (Die-u-rill)

b.     Spironolactone  (Speer-on-oh-lac-tone)

c.      Aldactone  (Al-dac-tone)

2.     Spironolactone and aldactone are the same medicine but with different names.

3.     If your baby is going home on a diuretic, it will usually be one of these medicines.  However, not every baby goes home on a diuretic.  The doctor decides if your baby needs to go home on a diruretic.

WHAT IS A DIURETIC

1.       A diuretic (water medicine) helps the body get rid of extra water.

2.     It reduces the amount of water in the baby’s lungs by increasing the amount of urine your baby makes. 

3.     It helps ease the workload of the heart by decreasing the amount of fluid the heart must pump. 

4.     Diuretics are used to treat babies with heart failure, hypertension (high blood pressure) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). 

SIDE EFFECTS

GIVING THE MEDICINE 

1.       Draw the medicine up in a syringe. 

2.     Always give the medicine in about ½ ounce of formula to prevent choking the baby and stomach upset. 

3.     If your baby is on more than one (1) diuretic do not give the medicines at the same time.  Give the medicines 12 hours apart, unless your baby’s doctor tells you differently. 

MISSED OR VOMITED DOSE 

1.       The medicine should be given as ordered by the baby’s doctor.

2.     If you forget a dose give the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.

3.     Do not make up for a missed dose by doubling or increasing the next dose.

4.     One missed dose is usually not a problem.

5.     If the baby vomits the dose or you have any questions, CALL THE BABY’S DOCTOR FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND ASSISTANCE.  

HOW LONG TO GIVE THE MEDICINE 

1.       Do Not stop giving the medicine without talking with your baby’s doctor.  He will tell you when to stop the medicine. 

CALL THE DOCTOR IF…. 

1.       Your baby vomits the medicine. 

2.     Your baby does not eat. 

3.     Your baby has diarrhea. 

4.     Your baby’s mouth seems very dry. 

5.     Your baby does not have at least 6 wet diapers in a day. 

6.     Your baby is restless, sleepy or weak.

7.     Your baby’s eyes seem sunken or have blue circles around them.

8.     The soft spot (fontanel) on the top of your baby’s head seems sunken in. 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS 

1.       KEEP ALL MEDICINES OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.

2.     Always give the amount of medicine ordered by the doctor. 

3.     Store Diuril, Spironolactone, & aldactone at room temperature.  Do not refrigerate. 

4.     Medicines have an expiration date printed on their label: 

THE PRESCRIPTION

1.       You may be given a prescription to fill when the baby is discharged or you may be given some of the medicine to take home. 

2.     Always check the medicine when you get it from the pharmacy (drug store).   

3.     It should be labeled with the same name and same dosage that your baby was getting in the hospital.   

4.     The medicine’s instructions will tell you: 

a.      The mg’s or cc’s to give    (mg=milligrams) 

b.     How to give the medicine

c.      How often to give the medicine.

5.     Use a 1 cc or a 3 cc syringe to draw up this medicine.  You will be given at least one syringe to take home. 

6.     Parents should always keep at least a week’s supply of each of the baby’s medicines on hand. 

7.     Call your baby’s doctor if more medicine is needed and you do not have a refill on the prescription.   

8.     The local drugstore pharmacist may also be able to help you obtain refills.

Reviewed/Revised: 

12/98, 3/01, 2/03,  11/05, 8/07