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BNP and amino terminal proBNP assays did not differ for detecting congestive heart failure in the emergency department

Clinical impact ratings Internal medicine Emergency medicine Cardiology

Key Words: heart failure (congestive) • natriuretic peptide (brain).

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

METHODS
Design: blinded comparison of BNP and NT-proBNP concentrations with a comfirmatory diagnosis of CHF based on the Framingham criteria after reviewing patient medical records.

Setting: a hospital in Linz, Austria.

Patients: 251 ED patients (mean age 73 y, 93% men) who had shortness of breath as the most prominent symptom. Patients with acute coronary syndromes were excluded.

Description of tests: BNP and NT-proBNT concentrations in plasma were measured by the AxSYM BNP assay (Abbott Laboratories, Abbot Park, IL, USA) and the Elecsys NT-proBNP test (Roche Diagnositics), respectively.

Diagnostic standard: blinded to BNP and NT-proBNP concentrations, 1 investigator reviewed all medical records and made a comfirmatory diagnosis of CHF based on the Framingham criteria. For the diagnosis of CHF, both of the following had to be present: Framingham CHF score with 2 major or 1 major criteria and 2 minor criteria; and evidence of systolic or diastolic dysfunction as determined by . . . [Full text of this article]

Jenny Doust, BMBS, FRACGP

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia