B-type natriuretic peptide testing in the emergency setting for managing acute dyspnea

The performance of B-type natriuretic peptide to accurately diagnose dyspnea of cardiac origin has been widely proved. However, its impact in clinical practice is less clear.

We searched in Epistemonikos, the largest database of systematic reviews in health, which is maintained by screening multiple information sources, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, among others. We extracted data from the systematic reviews, reanalyzed data of primary studies, conducted a meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table using the GRADE approach.

We identified two systematic reviews including five studies overall, of which all were randomized trials. We concluded the use of B-type natriuretic peptide for the management of acute dyspnea in the emergency setting probably leads to a small reduction in the need for hospitalization. Additionally, it may slightly reduce mortality and intensive care unit admission, but the certainty of the evidence is low.