title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Aubagne Hospital, Marseille, France. sarques@ch-aubagne.fr
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arques
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sbragia
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gelisse
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ambrosi
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luccioni
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain