Abstract
Objective: Our goal is to determine the prognostic value of serum N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), leukocytosis, and hyperglycemia in patients with severe hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). Design: This is a prospective cohort study conducted from March 2011 through October 2012 at Hunan Children's Hospital. Setting: Hunan Children's Hospital, a large children's teaching hospital with 1,500-beds located in the Changsha region of Hunan Province in China. Patients: 295 children who were presented with clinical manifestation of severe HFMD, and required hospitalization. Interventions: Standard supportive treatment for HFMD as recommended by the national guidelines. Measurements: Admission blood samples were analyzed for NT-proBNP, leukocyte count, and serum glucose. Independent prognostic value of NT-proBNP for predicting mortality was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazard model adjusting for various covariates. Main Results: Area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) analysis suggested that a serum concentration of NT-proBNP concentration more than 1,500 pg/mL is an optimal cutoff point. Twenty-four patients (8.1%) had an NT-proBNP more than 1,500 pg/mL, and a 3-day mortality of 46% (11/24). Adjusted for tachycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, hyperglycemia, leukocytosis, and conscious disturbance on presentation, elevated NT-proBNP was associated with a 22.5-fold (95% confidence interval, 3.56-142.66) increased risk of 3-day mortality. We have further improved the specificity and AUROC values by the HFMD laboratory score, which combines NT-proBNP, leukocytosis, and hyperglycemia. Conclusions: Routine admission surveillance for NT-proBNP is useful for identifying patients with HFMD at risk for mortality. Further studies are needed to determine whether early intervention in patients with highly elevated NT-proBNP can improve outcome.