B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Non-Invasive Haemodynamics and Hydration Status Assessments in the Management of Patients with Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction: An impairment of cardiac haemodynamics and fluid retention may occur in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) because of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to volume and/or pressure overload. The measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) represents the ‘gold standard’ of biomarker assessment for evaluating LV adaptations to AHF. More recently, Nexfin and bioelectric impedance vector analysis (BIVA) techniques have been proposed for non-invasively assessing haemodynamic and hydration status, respectively. These techniques are rapidly and easily executable and, most importantly, may be repeated over time.