title: Effects of high-urgency ambulance transportation on pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (proBNP) levels in venous blood increase in patients with acute out-of-hospital heart failure because of stress during emergency ambulance transportation, and furthermore, we wanted to show if there is an effect of increasing proBNP levels on hemodynamic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Venous proBNP levels, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and anxiety before and after transportation, heart rate, blood pressure, and transcutaneous Spo(2) were measured every 3 minutes in 32 patients with defined clinical signs of heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ProBNP levels increased significantly (P < .01) during transportation (278.13 +/- 113.20 vs 984.67 +/- 627.33 pg/mL), whereas heart rate and mean blood pressure remained almost stable. There was no significant change in VAS for pain and anxiety (3.79 +/- 3.70 and 2.89 +/- 3.01 vs 2.13 +/- 3.30 and 1.57 +/- 2.78).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A rapid increase in proBNP levels was shown in patients with acute out-of-hospital heart failure during emergency ambulance transportation but no significant changes in hemodynamic parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, General Intensive Care and Pain Control, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. ulrikeweber2005@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reitinger
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erdeii
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hellmich
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Steinlechner
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hager
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Selzer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiesmayr
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajek
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kober
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000552:Ambulances; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D010100:Oxygen