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Standardized Measurement of Nasal Membrane Transepithelial Potential Difference (NPD)
Published on: September 13, 2018
[Measurement of NT-proBNP in elderly patients with acute dyspnea: diagnostic and pronostic value]
Manuel Méndez Bailón1, Nuria Muñoz Rivas, Carlos Romero Román
1Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España. icc-bnp@lycos.es
Background And Objective:
The aim of our study was to establish weather N-terminal fragment of brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is useful in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea in elderly patients, and whether its determination has a prognostic value in heart failure (HF).
Patients And Method:
79 patients admitted with acute dyspnea at the emergency department were included in our study. The mean age (standard deviation) was 77.56 (8.71) years. 67% had a diagnosis of HF based on clinical and echocardiagraphic criteria. A follow-up of 18 months was performed after discharge.
Results:
Higher levels of NT-proBNP were found in patients with HF (6,833.54 pg/ml) than in patients with other causes of dyspnea (1,801.99 pg/ml) (p < 0.0001). A cut-off point of NT-proBNP > 730 pg/ml was related to higher rates of readmission due to HF over the next 18 months.
Conclusions:
NT-proBNP is a useful biomarker in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea in the elderly population. Its determination has a prognostic roll, stratifying the risk of readmission in HF patients.
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