Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine
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Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. · Mar 2007
Comparative StudyThe impact of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide testing on hospital length of stay and morbidity in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.
In clinical trials, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) testing has been shown to be valuable for diagnosis and triage of patients with acute decompensated heart failure. It is not yet clear what benefits might be expected from the initiation of NT-proBNP testing in an everyday clinical setting. ⋯ Implementation of NT-proBNP testing may result in significant reductions in hospital length of stay as well as improvements in rates of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.