The Amino-Terminal Fragment of Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Plasma as a Biological Marker for Predicting Mortality in CommunityAcquired Pneumonia: A Cohort Study

Abstract

Aim: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an infectious disease that causes the highest mortality rates in developed countries. The primary endpoint of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the plasma concentration of the amino-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) at the time of CAP diagnosis in a hospital emergency room (HER) and its severity, determined as mortality at 30 days.Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational cohort study was used to determine NT-ProBNP (ng/L) in patients with CAP, with a follow-up over 30 days and analysis of the mortality rate. Results: A total of 338 patients were assessed. Thirty patients died within the first 30 days (10.5%). The mean NT-ProBNP values in the deceased patients were 14,035 ng/L (SD: 19,271) compared to 1,711 ng/L (SD: 3,835) in survivors (p