title: Assessment of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome using B-type brain natriuretic peptide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the assessment of severity and prognosis in acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma BNP level, arterial blood gases, serum C-reactive protein level, alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference and oxygenation index were measured in patients with and without ALI/ARDS within 24 h of admission to an intensive care unit. Patients with ALI/ARDS were divided into mild, moderate or severe groups according to the degree of hypoxaemia. Survival >28 days was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 59 patients with ALI/ARDS and 14 patients without ALI/ARDS were included in the study. Of the patients with ALI/ARDS, 18 had mild hypoxaemia, 20 had moderate hypoxaemia and 21 had severe hypoxaemia. The mean ± SD BNP level was significantly higher in all three ALI/ARDS groups (92.41 ± 28.19 pg/ml, 170.64 ± 57.34 pg/ml and 239.06 ± 59.62 pg/ml, respectively, in the mild, moderate and severe groups) than in the non-ALI/ARDS group (47.27 ± 19.63 pg/ml); the increase in BNP level with increasing severity was also statistically significant. When divided according to outcome, the BNP level in the death group (267.07 ± 45.06 pg/ml) was significantly higher than in the survival group (128.99 ± 45.42 pg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BNP level may be of value in evaluating severity and prognosis in patients with ALI/ARDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yi-zhu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China gyllhy@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Qing-xia
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yong-hon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Hong-yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Shao-ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: B-type natriuretic peptide; acute respiratory distress syndrome; acute respiratory injury; respiratory failure