What anesthesiologists should know about B-type natriuretic peptide

Abstract

Natriuretic peptides (NPs), particularly B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro BNP (NT-proBNP), are widely used as markers of cardiac wall stress and heart failure (HF) in daily clinical practice. The measurement of NPs became a part of national and international cardiovascular guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of HF. NP measurement improves diagnosis and management and helps to predict outcome in patients presenting with acute dyspnea in the Emergency Department. Additionally, NPs are of special interest for anesthesiologists. This includes improved management of Intensive Care Unit patients with respiratory failure and preoperative risk assessment. This paper reviews and highlights the use of NPs in clinical practice focusing on issues that may be of particular interest to anesthesiologists.