Ethacrynic acid (USAN), trade name Edecrin, is a loop diuretic used to treat high blood pressure and the swelling caused by diseases like congestive heart failure, liver failure, and kidney failure.
Ethacrynic acid compared to the other loop diuretic drugs, it has a significantly steep dose-response curve, which means the drug’s dosing is very important as small variance in dose can cause a significant difference in the biological response.
Unlike the other loop diuretics, it is not a sulfonamideand may thus be used in individuals with sulfa allergies in whom the sulfonamide loop diuretics would be contraindicated.
Ethacrynic acid is a diuretic that is used to treat edema when a stronger agent is required, and is available as a pill or injected form.
The pill is used to treat edema associated with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and renal disease, ascites associated with cancer or edema, and management of hospitalized children with congenital heart disease or nephrotic syndrome.
The injected form is used to rapidly remove water from the body when needed, as in acute pulmonary edema
As a diuretic, ethacrynic acid can cause frequent urination, but this usually resolves after taking the drug for a few weeks.
Ethacrynic acid can also cause low potassium levels.
It has also been known to cause reversible or permanent hearing loss, and liver damage when administered in extremely high dosages.
On oral administration, it can produce diarrhea, and intestinal bleeding may occur at higher doses.
Ethacrynic acid acts by inhibiting NKCC2 in the thick ascending loop of Henle and the macula densa.
Loss of potassium ions is less marked but chances of hypochloremic alkalosis are greater.
The dose response curve of ethacrynic acid is steeper than that of furosemide and, in general, it is less manageable; dose range is 50–150 mg.