Effects of high-urgency ambulance transportation on pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with heart failure.
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.
Weber
Ulrike
U
Department of Anesthesiology, General Intensive Care and Pain Control, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. ulrikeweber2005@hotmail.com
Reitinger
Agnes
A
Erdeii
Tomasz
T
Hellmich
Christian
C
Steinlechner
Barbara
B
Hager
Helmut
H
Selzer
Michael
M
Hiesmayr
Michael
M
Rajek
Angela
A
Kober
Alexander
A
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
D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D010100:Oxygen