Antihypertensives — MCQs

Q: A 25 -year-old male presented to the emergency department with head trauma due to a road traffic accident. In the hospital, the patient developed seizures, and an emergency CT scan revealed widespread cerebral edema. Which of the following is the diuretic of choice for cerebral edema in this patient?

A. Mannitol. ***Mannitol*** - **Mannitol** is an osmotic diuretic that creates an osmotic gradient, drawing water from the brain parenchyma into the intravascular space, thereby reducing **cerebral edema**. - Its rapid onset of action and ability to cross an intact blood-brain barrier sparingly makes it the drug of choice for acute management of elevated intracranial pressure due to **cerebral edema**. *Spironolactone* - **Spironolactone** is a potassium-sparing diuretic that primarily acts on the distal tubules to inhibit aldosterone, leading to sodium and water excretion. - It is unsuitable for acute cerebral edema as its diuretic effect is too slow and it does not create the necessary osmotic gradient. *Furosemide* - **Furosemide** is a loop diuretic that inhibits sodium-potassium-chloride co-transporter in the loop of Henle, leading to significant diuresis. - While it can remove fluid, it does not create the same osmotic gradient as mannitol and is less effective at rapidly reducing **intracranial pressure** directly related to cerebral edema. *Hydrochlorothiazide* - **Hydrochlorothiazide** is a thiazide diuretic that primarily acts on the distal convoluted tubule to inhibit sodium reabsorption. - Its diuretic action is too slow and relatively mild for the acute management of severe conditions like **cerebral edema**. *Acetazolamide* - **Acetazolamide** is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that reduces CSF production and has a role in chronic management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. - However, it is not suitable for acute cerebral edema following trauma as its onset is too slow and its diuretic effect is relatively weak compared to osmotic diuretics.

A 25 -year-old male presented to the emergency department with head trauma due to a road traffic accident. In the hospital, the patient developed seizures, and an emergency CT scan revealed widespread cerebral edema. Which of the following is the diuretic of choice for cerebral edema in this patient?

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