title: [Diagnosing the cause of acute dyspnea in elderly patients: role of biomarkers in emergencies].
abstract: Acute dyspnea is one of the leading causes of emergency hospitalization of elderly patients. Clinical diagnostic procedures are difficult in this geriatric population. Acute heart failure is the most frequent cause of acute dyspnea in geriatric patients. The use of plasma B natriuretic peptide (BNP) assays in the general population has profoundly improved its medical management. There has also been progress recently for other frequent causes of dyspnea in the elderly, including infection and venous thromboembolic disease. Procalcitonin assays may be useful as a prognostic factor for infectious disease. Nevertheless, the real value of BNP assays in geriatric populations must be clarified by interventional studies.
authors.affiliation: UPRES 2397, Service de pneumologie et réanimation, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, UPMC- Paris 6, F-75013 Paris, France. ateixeira@hopital-gms-plaisir.fr
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Legrain
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010343:Patient Admission; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014336:Troponin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014336:Troponin; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide