Accuracy of tissue Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of new-onset congestive heart failure in patients with levels of B-type natriuretic peptide in the midrange and normal left ventricular ejection fraction.
BACKGROUND
Based on the hypothesis that it reflects left ventricular (LV) diastolic pressures, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is largely utilized as first-line diagnostic complement in the emergency diagnosis of congestive heart failure (HF). The incremental diagnostic value of tissue Doppler echocardiography, a reliable noninvasive estimate of LV filling pressures, has been reported in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and discrepancy between BNP levels and the clinical judgment, however, its clinical validity in such patients in the presence of BNP concentrations in the midrange, which may reflect intermediate, nondiagnostic levels of LV filling pressures, is unknown.


METHODS
34 patients without history of HF, presenting with acute dyspnea at rest, BNP levels of 100-400 pg/ml and normal LV ejection fraction were prospectively enrolled (17 with congestive HF and 17 with noncardiac cause). Tissue Doppler echocardiography was performed within 3 hours after admission.


RESULTS
Unlike BNP (P = 0.78), Boston criteria (P = 0.0129), radiographic pulmonary edema (P = 0.0036) and average E/Ea ratio (P = 0.0032) were predictive of congestive HF by logistic regression analysis. In this clinical setting, radiographic pulmonary edema had a positive predictive value of 80% in the diagnosis of congestive HF. In patients without evidence of radiographic pulmonary edema, average E/Ea > 10 was a powerful predictor of congestive HF (area under the ROC curve of 0.886, P < 0.001, sensitivity 100% and specificity 78.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
By better reflecting LV filling pressures, bedside tissue Doppler echocardiography accurately differentiates congestive HF from noncardiac cause in dyspneic patients with intermediate, nondiagnostic BNP levels and normal LV ejection fraction.
Arques
Stephane
S
Department of Cardiology, Aubagne Hospital, Marseille, France. sarques@ch-aubagne.fr
Roux
Emmanuel
E
Sbragia
Pascal
P
Pieri
Bertrand
B
Gelisse
Richard
R
Ambrosi
Pierre
P
Luccioni
Roger
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D013318:Stroke Volume; D017725:Ventricular Pressure
D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain