Open AccessPost‐Acute Care: The Role of Natriuretic Peptides
Author(s) -
Maisel Alan,
Januzzi James,
Xue Yang,
Silver Marc A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
congestive heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1751-7133
pISSN - 1527-5299
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-7133.2012.00304.x
Subject(s) - decompensation , medicine , intensive care medicine , heart failure , acute decompensated heart failure , natriuretic peptide , disease , acute care , medical care , health care , emergency medicine , economics , economic growth
Heart failure is a chronic disease marked by variable acute exacerbations. Once hospitalized the decompensated patient may have signs and symptoms only partially reversed, medical therapy only partially optimized and deranged physiology only partially restored. Therefore, the post‐acute care period is one of unique vulnerability and merits efforts of careful and comprehensive assessment of patients at risk of recurrent decompensation and rehospitalization. Natriuretic peptide (NP) assessment which has the ability to monitor dynamic changes in a patient's physiology, may play an important role as part of a post‐acute care algorithm focused on early detection and prevention of further decompensation and rehospitalization. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.