Name two common adverse effects of loop diuretics.

Name two common adverse effects of loop diuretics.

• A. Hypokalemia and ototoxicity
• B. Hyperkalemia and hyponatremia
• C. Hypocalcemia and metabolic acidosis
• D. Hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia

Answer: (A)

Loop diuretics work by blocking the Na-K-2Cl transporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. This pushes more sodium, chloride, and water out of the body and, importantly, increases losses of potassium in the urine. That makes hypokalemia a very common adverse effect. Ototoxicity is another well-known risk, especially with higher doses or certain agents, because the drug can affect the inner ear as it is excreted; this can lead to reversible or sometimes reversible hearing changes. The other options don’t pair the two most typical, frequently observed adverse effects together: loop diuretics do not usually cause hyperkalemia, and the common electrolyte/acid-base disturbances don’t align as a two-item pair (metabolic alkalosis is more typical than metabolic acidosis, and hyponatremia is not as characteristic as the potassium loss).

Loop diuretics work by blocking the Na-K-2Cl transporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. This pushes more sodium, chloride, and water out of the body and, importantly, increases losses of potassium in the urine. That makes hypokalemia a very common adverse effect. Ototoxicity is another well-known risk, especially with higher doses or certain agents, because the drug can affect the inner ear as it is excreted; this can lead to reversible or sometimes reversible hearing changes. The other options don’t pair the two most typical, frequently observed adverse effects together: loop diuretics do not usually cause hyperkalemia, and the common electrolyte/acid-base disturbances don’t align as a two-item pair (metabolic alkalosis is more typical than metabolic acidosis, and hyponatremia is not as characteristic as the potassium loss).