Action on elevated natriuretic peptide in primary care: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are released by increased ventricular wall stress, most often caused by heart failure (HF). NP level measurement helps select patients clinically suspected of HF who need echocardiography. Yet, the diagnostic actions following NP testing in daily primary care are poorly studied.

Aim: To assess the diagnostic actions taken by general practitioners (GPs) in patients with an elevated NP level.

Design & setting: Retrospective observational study in general practices in the Netherlands.

Method: In patients with an elevated NP level between July 2017 and July 2022 diagnostic actions were gathered during three months following NP testing. We compared patients with an elevated NP level referred for echocardiography to those not referred by univariable analyses.

Results: Among 902 patients, 394 (43.7%) had an elevated NP level. Median age was 75.0 (IQR 18.0) years, 68.8% were female. In total, 166 (42.1%) were referred for echocardiography and 114 (28.9%) underwent additional ECG recording. 30/166 (18.1%) referred patients were labelled HF by the cardiologist within three months after NP testing compared to 29/228 (12.7%) not referred. Referred patients were compared to those not referred younger (69.7 vs. 74.1 years, P<.001), less already known to a cardiologist (46.3% vs. 62.3%, P=.002), and had less marginally increased BNP levels (35-50 pg/mL) (19.9% vs. 37.5%, P<.001).

Conclusions: Three out of five patients with an elevated NP level are not referred for echocardiography by GPs. Restraint to refer patients were older age, a marginally elevated BNP value, and already being under control of a cardiologist.