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NT-proBNP levels might predict outcomes in severe sepsis, but renal function cannot be ignored

Critical Care volume 23, Article number: 341 (2019) Cite this article

The Original Article was published on 24 June 2019

We read with great interest the article by Carlo Custodero et al. recently published in Critical Care [1]. The authors concluded that NT-proBNP levels during the acute phase of sepsis may be a useful indicator of higher risk of long-term impairments in physical function and muscle strength in sepsis survivors. However, the article overlooks the association of NT-proBNP and renal function in septic patients. Studies have shown that acute kidney injury is a common complication of sepsis and is significantly associated with mortality [2, 3], whereas the studies by Gergei et al. [4] and Roberts et al. [5] indicated that NT-proBNP plasma level has shown an exponential increase with declining glomerular filtration rate. Thus, it did not seem persuasive that NT-proBNP could completely predict outcomes without adjusting for the covariate of renal function. We suggest the relationship of the NT-proBNP levels during the acute phase of sepsis and physical function and muscle strength outcomes in sepsis survivors be stratified based on the renal function.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, No. 111, Dade Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Jiarong Ye & Xiaotu Xi

  2. Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, No. 2, Baiyun Avenue North, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, 510420, China

    Qianrong Liang

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  1. Jiarong Ye
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  2. Qianrong Liang
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  3. Xiaotu Xi
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JRY and XTX designed the paper. QRL edited the English text of a draft of this manuscript. All authors participated in the drafting and reviewing. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Xiaotu Xi.

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Ye, J., Liang, Q. & Xi, X. NT-proBNP levels might predict outcomes in severe sepsis, but renal function cannot be ignored. Crit Care 23, 341 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-019-2615-2

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Critical Care

ISSN: 1364-8535