Does nesiritide reduce mortality and readmission in decompensated heart failure?

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by insufficient cardiac output to supply adequate perfusion to the peripheral de-mands. When decompensated, it can cause various sys-temic effects, depending on the type of presentation. The patient may have only a low cardiac output, or may have a large pulmonary vascular congestion, causing acute pul-monary edema and clinically important dyspnea.Nesiritide is a recombinant form of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), secreted when the walls of the heart’s ven-tricles are dilated, and its use was approved in 2001 by the FDA for the treatment of decompensated HF. It has va-sodilatory properties, causing reduced pre- and afterload, decreased pulmonary capillary pressure, and increased cardiac output without inotropic effects