By Jeff Minerd, MedPage Today Staff Writer
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
November 17, 2005
MedPage Today Action Points
* NT-proBNP concentrations are useful in confirming a diagnosis of acute heart failure in patients presenting to emergency rooms with dyspnea.
* Understand that NT-proBNP concentrations greater than 5,180 pg/mL may indicate patients at significantly increased risk of death who require more aggressive monitoring and treatment.
* Recognize that an age-independent cutoff of 300 pg/mL had a 98% negative predictive value to exclude acute heart failure.
Review
BOSTON, Nov. 17 - An international study has confirmed the usefulness of a blood test for amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in diagnosing suspected acute heart failure in emergency room patients with dyspnea.
The study also found that NT-proBNP concentrations can predict short-term mortality risk, reported James L. Januzzi, M.D., of the Massachusetts General Hospital here and colleagues. Patients with marked elevations of this marker had more than a fivefold increased risk of death within 76 days, compared with patients whose levels were lower.
Posted by gruwell at November 18, 2005 3:34 PM | TrackBack