Prehospital triage of patients suffering severe dyspnoea using N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, the PreBNP trial: a randomised controlled clinical trial

Morten Thingemann Bøtker, Maren T Jørgensen, Carsten Stengaard, Sophie-Charlott Seidenfaden, Mona Tarpgaard, Asger Granfeldt, Tanja Ø Mortensen, Thorbjørn Grøfte, Kristian D Friesgaard, Rikke Maerkedahl, Anette B Pedersen, Simon Lundorff, Troels Martin Hansen, Hans Kirkegaard, Erika F Christensen, Christian Juhl Terkelsen

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the addition of brain natriuretic peptide measurement to the routine diagnostic work-up by prehospital critical care team physicians improves triage in patients with severe dyspnoea.

METHODS: Prehospital critical care team physicians randomly assigned patients older than 18 years with severe dyspnoea to routine diagnostic work-up or diagnostic work-up with incorporated point-of-care N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with dyspnoea of primary cardiac origin triaged directly to a department of cardiology.

RESULTS: A total of 747 patients were randomly assigned and 711 patients consented to participate, 350 were randomly assigned to the NT-proBNP group and 361 to the routine work-up group. NT-proBNP was measured in 90% (315/350) of patients in the NT-proBNP group and in 19% (70/361) of patients in the routine work-up group. There was no difference in the proportion of patients with dyspnoea of primary cardiac origin triaged directly to a department of cardiology between the NT-proBNP group and the routine work-up group (75% vs. 69%, P=0.22) in the intention-to-treat analysis. Sensitivity analysis according to the de facto diagnostics performed showed results consistent with this. No differences in hospital length of stay, intensive care unit admission rates or mortality between the NT-proBNP group and the routine work-up group were observed.

CONCLUSION: Routine supplementary point-of-care measurement of NT-proBNP in patients with severe dyspnoea did not improve triage of patients with dyspnoea primarily caused by heart disease. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02050282.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Heart Journal : Acute Cardiovascular Care
Volume7
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)302-310
Number of pages9
ISSN2048-8726
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Journal Article

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Prehospital triage of patients suffering severe dyspnoea using N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, the PreBNP trial: a randomised controlled clinical trial'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this