The measurement of natriuretic peptides (NPs), B-type NP or N-terminal pro-B-type NP, can be an important tool in the diagnosis of acute heart failure in patients presenting to an Emergency Department (ED) with acute dyspnea, according to international guidelines. Studies and subsequent meta-analyses are mixed on the absolute value of routine NP assessment of ED patients. However, levels of NPs are likely to be used also to guide treatment and to assess risk of adverse outcomes in other patients at risk of developing heart failure, including those with pulmonary embolism or diabetes, or receiving chemotherapy. Natriuretic peptide levels, like other biomarkers, can now be measured at the point of care (POC). We have reviewed the current status of NP measurement together with the potential contribution of POC measurement of NPs to clinical care delivery in the emergency and other settings. Several POC systems for measuring NP levels are now available: these produce test results within 15 minutes and appear sufficiently sensitive and robust to be used routinely in diagnostic evaluations. Point-of-care systems could be used to assess NP levels in the ED and community outpatient settings to monitor the risk of acute heart failure. Furthermore, the use of protocol-driven POC testing of NP within the time frame of a patient consultation in the ED may facilitate and accelerate the throughput and disposition of at-risk patients. Appropriately designed clinical trials will be needed to confirm these potential benefits. It is also important that processes of care delivery are redesigned to take full advantage of the faster turnaround times provided by POC technology.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 23 December 2013.
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#6,754,036
of 25,374,647 outputs
Outputs from American Heart Journal
#1,915
of 5,520 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#53,290
of 207,684 outputs
Outputs of similar age from American Heart Journal
#18
of 43 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,647 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 73rd percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,520 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.8. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 64% of its peers.
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