Key result
BNP and ECG are sensitive but lack specificity for detecting LVSD in elderly patients.
Why the study?
Heart failure is primarily a disease of elderly people, and in the UK limited resources restrict access to echocardiography for all suspected cases, necessitating alternative screening methods.
Does B-type natriuretic peptide measurement combined with electrocardiogram accurately detect cardiac disease in elderly day hospital patients?
Population
299 consecutive elderly patients referred to Day Hospital with suspected cardiovascular disease, mean age 79, 65% female
Comparison
B-type natriuretic peptide measurement and electrocardiogram versus echocardiography
Design
Prospective cohort study
Authors
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May support BNP+ECG triage for echocardiography in elderly day hospital patients; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Cohort (n=299)
No
Does B-type natriuretic peptide measurement combined with electrocardiogram accurately detect cardiac disease in elderly day hospital patients?
B-type natriuretic peptide measurement combined with an electrocardiogram is a sensitive screening tool for detecting cardiac disease in elderly patients, which could help prioritize limited echocardiography resources.
Stuart Hutcheon (2002) conducted a cohort in Suspected cardiovascular disease (n=299). B-type natriuretic peptide measurement vs. Electrocardiogram was evaluated on Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of screening tests for left ventricular systolic dysfunction. B-type natriuretic peptide and electrocardiogram were sensitive but lacked specificity for detecting left ventricular systolic dysfunction, which was present in 10% of the 299 elderly patients.
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