Which term describes a medication used to increase the production and secretion of urine and thereby decreases amount of water in the body; treatment for kidney failure, edema, heart failure, and hypertension?

• A. Diuretic
• B. Diuresis
• C. Epispadias
• D. Calculus

Answer: (A)

A diuretic is a medication that increases urine production and helps remove excess water from the body. By promoting diuresis, these drugs reduce fluid overload, which is why they’re used to treat edema, kidney failure, heart failure, and hypertension. They work by inhibiting sodium (and thus water) reabsorption at different parts of the nephron, leading to more urine being produced and excreted.

The term diuresis describes the actual process of increased urine production, not a medication. Epispadias is a congenital malformation of the urethra, and calculus refers to a stone in the kidney or urinary tract.