Chest
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Multicenter Study
B-type natriuretic peptide and echocardiographic determination of ejection fraction in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in patients with acute dyspnea.
Echocardiography and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are diagnostic tests for congestive heart failure (CHF), but an emergency diagnosis can be difficult. ⋯ BNP measurement was superior to two-dimensional echocardiographic determination of EF in identifying CHF, regardless of the threshold value. The two methods combined have marked additive diagnostic value.