Figure 1

Five-day B- type natriuretic peptide kinetics in patients with septic shock ( N = 30), severe sepsis ( N = 12) and hemorrhagic shock ( N = 11). Circles and vertical lines indicate mean B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) values and standard deviations (SD), respectively. BNP kinetics are indicated by the corresponding mean regression lines for septic shock (solid line), severe sepsis (dashed line) and hemorrhagic shock (dotted line). Septic shock’s mean regression line represents greater mean intercept and steeper mean slope than severe sepsis and hemorrhagic shock regression lines (1,312.6 vs. 333.5 pg/ml and 74.7 pg/ml, respectively, P < 0.001; and −78.1 pg/ml/day vs. −13.4 and −9.6 pg/ml/day, respectively, P ≤ 0.029). Intercept of the regression line, BNP value where the regression line crosses the y-axis at theoretical day 0; Slope of the regression line, Rate at which BNP values change day after day. Black hooks: Bonferroni's subgroup analysis between lines' mean intercepts. Gray hooks: Bonferroni's subgroup analysis between lines' mean slopes.