New St George’s study explores at-home treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure
- patientsinresearch
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
A new NIHR-funded study at St George’s Hospital is exploring whether patients living with both chronic kidney disease and heart failure can be safely treated for fluid overload at home, helping them avoid hospital admission or a visit to the emergency department.
The locally designed study, known as Home Chronic Heart Failure (CHF), is being delivered by the heart failure and renal medicine services at St George’s Hospital and has been co-designed with patients.
Its full title is Impact of at-home subcutaneous furosemide in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease on prevention of hospital admission: a randomised controlled feasibility trial.
People with chronic kidney disease and heart failure are at higher risk of hospital admission when fluid builds up in the body. This can cause symptoms such as breathlessness, swelling and worsening heart failure, often requiring urgent hospital treatment.
The Home CHF study will test whether a special drug and device can be used to deliver furosemide under the skin at home. Furosemide is a medicine commonly used to help the body remove excess fluid. By testing this approach outside the hospital, the study aims to understand whether at-home treatment is feasible, safe and acceptable for patients.
The study will enrol 200 people with chronic kidney disease and heart failure. Of these, 80 patients who develop fluid overload will be randomised to receive either at-home therapy or standard care.
The aim is to find out whether this model of care could help patients receive timely treatment in a more comfortable setting while reducing the need for hospital admission or emergency care.
The study reflects the importance of patient-centred research at St George’s, where clinical teams work closely with patients to design studies that respond to real-life healthcare needs.
By bringing together expertise from heart failure, renal medicine and patient involvement, Home CHF has the potential to inform future care for people living with complex long-term conditions.
For more information, check out this website – Role of at-home treatment of heart failure and kidney disease patients with under-the-skin injection of "furosemide" for fluid removal
