Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood test to tell heart failure from other causes of fluid in cat's
By Hassdenteufel, Esther et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2013·Department of Clinical Studies, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of circulating N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide concentration to differentiate between cardiac from noncardiac causes of pleural effusion in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 21 cats with moderate to severe fluid buildup in their chest (pleural effusion) was tested to see if a blood test could help determine if the cause was heart failure or something else. The test measured a substance called NT-proBNP, which was found to be much higher in cats with congestive heart failure compared to those without it. The results showed that a level of 258 pmol/L or higher could reliably indicate heart failure. This test could help veterinarians make better decisions about treatment for cats with pleural effusion.
People also search for: cat pleural effusion causes · NT-proBNP test for cats · cat heart failure symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic ability of blood N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement to differentiate between congestive heart failure (CHF) and noncardiogenic causes for moderate to severe pleural effusion in cats. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Twenty-one cats with moderate to severe pleural effusion. INTERVENTIONS: Venous blood sampling for NT-proBNP measurement. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS: According to the results of echocardiographic examination, cats were classified in a group with CHF (n = 11) or noncongestive heart failure (N-CHF, n = 10). NT-proBNP was measured via a feline-specific test in EDTA plasma with protease inhibitor. NT-proBNP was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in the CHF group ( median 982 pmol/L, 355-1,286 pmol/L) than in the N-CHF group (median 69 pmol/L, 26 - 160 pmol/L) and discriminated exactly (area under the curve = 1.0, 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.0) between both groups. Optimum cut-off value considering all samples was 258 pmol/L. CONCLUSION: In this small population of cats with pleural effusion, NT-proBNP was able to differentiate between cats with cardiogenic and noncardiogenic causes of effusion. With the currently recommended method of measurement (ie, EDTA plasma with protease inhibitor), a cut-off value of 258 pmol/L discriminates effectively between cats with and without CHF.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23859335/