Test Assesses BNP Level in Several Settings

The i-STAT BNP cartridge is a point of care diagnostic test used to assess the level of BNP (brain naturietic peptide) in patients in emergency rooms, heart failure clinics and observation units, laboratories and other critical care settings.
BNP is a protein secreted into the bloodstream by heart tissue during congestive heart failure (CHF), a disease in which the heart loses its ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body and which results in a build-up of fluid pressure inside the heart.
The BNP cartridge is designed for use with the i-STAT System, an automated hand-held blood analyzer that performs a panel of critical tests at the patient's bedside, producing lab-quality results that allow healthcare professionals to make rapid diagnosis and treatment decisions for their patients.
The cartridge is a single-use, in-vitro diagnostic test intended for use by licensed practitioners to measure the level of BNP with a drop of blood, delivering lab-accurate results in approximately 10 minutes at the patient's bedside.