Introduction
Neurocardiac injury is a type of myocardial dysfunction associated with neurological insult to the brain and occurs in 31–48% of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is commonly used to diagnose neurocardiac injury. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is another cardiac marker more often used to evaluate degree of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between BNP and a) neurocardiac injury severity according to cTnI, b) noninvasive continuous cardiac output (NCCO), and c) outcomes in aSAH patients.
Methods
This descriptive longitudinal study enrolled 30 adult aSAH patients. Data collected for 14 days included BNP and cTnI levels, NCCO parameters, and outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS] and mortality) at discharge and three months. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) evaluated the associations between BNP and cTnI, NCCO, and outcomes.
Results
Elevated BNP was significantly associated with cTnI. For every 1 unit increase in log BNP, cTnI increased by 0.05 ng/ml (p = .001). BNP was also significantly associated with thoracic fluid content (p = .0003) but no other NCCO parameters. On multivariable analyses, significant associations were found between BNP and poor mRS. For every 1 unit log BNP, patients were 3.16 times more likely to have a poor mRS at discharge (p = .021) and 5.40 times more likely at 3 months (p < .0001).
Conclusion
There was a significant relationship between BNP, cTnI, and poor outcomes after aSAH. BNP may have utility as a potential marker of neurocardiac injury and outcomes after aSAH.