Abbott launches new aid to heart disease diagnosis

Abbott is to market its new i-STAT BNP cartridge, a new diagnostic test to help assess levels of congestive heart failure.

The cartridge will be able to assess patients’ levels of brain naturietic peptides (BNP) in critical care settings, such as heart failure clinics, observation units and emergency rooms.

In cases of congestive heart failure, BNP is secreted into the bloodstream by heart tissue. The disease stops the heart adequately pumping blood throughout the body and can lead to a build-up of fluidic pressures inside the organ.

The BNP cartridge, which has now been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, will help doctors to make a diagnosis and decisions on treatment in a much shorter time.

Thomas Bugliosi, medical director at the Abbott Point of Care, said: “These patients present with shortness of breath, which doctors must assess to differentiate between heart attack, pulmonary embolism, asthma, the flu or a number of other conditions in addition to CHF. Point of care testing for BNP is an important advance for patients and physicians, who can make differential diagnosis and informed decisions on patient care more quickly and accurately.”

The disease has often been difficult to diagnose since many of its symptoms, such as fatigue and shortness of breath, can be easily associated with many other conditions.

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