Point of care NTproBNP testing for suspected heart failure acute care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does NTproBNP point of care testing on admission to hospital improve clinical outcomes for newly suspected heart failure patients? A feasibility quantitative study
IRAS ID
306813
Contact name
Gaynor Campbell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Stirling University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 28 days
Research summary
Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disease where the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body. Acute HF can be life threatening and it is vital that patients receive urgent treatment. For 80% of new HF patients the diagnosis is made during an acute admission to hospital. However, HF can be difficult to recognise. A National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes & Death (NCOPD) for patients admitted to hospital with acute HF found that faster, accurate diagnosis and action was required to reduce HF deaths. To reduce delays in diagnosing new HF national/international guidelines recommend analysis of a blood test for natriuretic peptide biomarkers, including N-Terminal pro B-type naturetic peptide (NTproBNP). This biomarker is a hormone secreted by the heart when under strain and is increased in acute HF. Levels are laboratory assessed and can be used to help diagnose or exclude HF. Laboratory testing can take a few hours which can delay diagnosis and treatment. The proposed research aims to measure how analysing NTproBNP in a 'point of care testing' (POCT) format impacts on patient outcomes. With POCT the blood sample is analysed at the bedside and the results are available within 15 minutes. Currently, there is a lack of data on the clinical outcomes for POCT for NTproBNP on arrival to hospital for new suspected HF patients. This research aims to investigate time to diagnosis of HF and treatment initiation with POC NTproBNP testing plus also investigate health care staff’s perceptions on the implementation of POCT in clinical practice. To do this the study will be split into 3 sections: Study 1- POCT outcome data, Study 2 comparison data, Study 3 staff questionnaire data.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0309
Date of REC Opinion
27 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion