Case
Elevated BNP before surgery
A case on how to interpret an elevated preoperative BNP and what steps to take next.
Teaching points
- BNP is a marker of cardiac wall stress, not a standalone diagnostic criterion for heart failure.
- Elevated BNP before surgery is a signal to assess the underlying cause, not to simply proceed.
- Consider cardiology referral and echocardiography when preoperative BNP is elevated.
Next clinical question
In patients with ischaemic heart disease, what additional evaluation is needed?
Case: Ischemic heart disease history →Apply this in practice
Use the Cardiac Risk Navigator to integrate this finding with other risk factors.
Assess perioperative cardiac risk →