Bedside BNP Test Predicts Mortality of CHF Patients

A study has shown that measurements of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) can predict in-hospital mortality in patients with acute or decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF), a leading cause of hospital admissions among the elderly.

The study involved 125 patients with decompensated CHF. Researchers found that patients who had a BNP level greater than 1,200 pg/ml upon admission also had an in-hospital mortality rate of 70%. Patients who died during therapy showed an increase in their BNP levels within the first 24 hours following admission. In contrast, patients who had BNP levels greater than 1,200 pg/ml upon admission but who experienced good outcomes, showed a significant decrease in their BNP levels within the first 24 hours of treatment. BNP is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that is elevated during heart dysfunction.

"In acutely ill patients, it is especially important to obtain measurements of BNP as early as possible in order to evaluate the prognosis and response to therapeutics,” said Patrick Jourdain, M.D., of the Rene Dubos Hospital (Pontoise, France), who led the study. The BNP test used in the study, Triage BNP, was developed by Biosite (San Diego, CA, USA). The study was presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Berlin (Germany).