The usefulness of brain natriuretic peptide level in diagnosis and prognosis of patients admitted to critical care unit with shortness of breath

BACKGROUND: Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) is a polypeptide secreted by the ventricles as a response to cardio-myocyte stretching. Due to its cardiac origin and correlation with volume overload it has been successfully used for a long time in diagnosing and prognosticating Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, an attempt was made to observe any correlation between admission BNP levels with APACHE II scores and length of ICU stay, in patients admitted with dyspnea to the ICU of a community based hospital. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: This study showed no significant correlation between length of stay in an ICU and admission BNP levels in dyspneic patients. Independent variables such as age and gender failed to show any coorelation either.