Comparison of continuous infusion and intermittent boluses of furosemide in acute heart failure: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Acute heart failure (HF) is a common cause of hospital admission. This study aims to compare continuous infusion and intermittent boluses of furosemide in treating acute HF. METHODS: This protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis has been drafted under the guidance of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols. Electronic databases including Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Wanfang, Data, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library will be searched in June 2021 by 2 independent reviewers. The main outcomes are post-treatment daily urine output, weight, length of stay, serum sodium, potassium, and creatinine. Two researchers conducted a quality assessment in strict accordance with the risk bias assessment tool recommended by the Cochrane Handbook Version5.3. We performed the meta-analysis by Stata version 10.0 software. RESULTS: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: The choice of furosemide regime in acute HF remains physician preference. Both bolus and continuous infusion yields satisfactory outcomes.