Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

2 mL aliquot serum or plasma; minimum 0.5 mL.

PLASMA FROM EDTA LAVENDER-TOP TUBES CANNOT BE USED.

If patient is receiving biotin, no sample is to be taken until at least 8 hours after last biotin administration.

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum or plasma within 2 hours of collection.

Room temperature (preferred).

Room temperature: 3 days. Refrigerated: 6 days. Frozen: 24 months.

Stability limits exceeded.

Adults: 
Exclude Heart Failure: <300 pg/mL
Diagnose Heart Failure: 
Age <50 yr: >450 pg/mL 
50-75 yr: >900 pg/mL
>75 yr: >1800 pg/mL
*GFR is 30-59 mL/min: > 1200 pg/mL or age-adjusted values
GFR < 30 mL/min: do not use, not reliable
Prognostic threshold: 1000 pg/mL 

Children: 
NT-ProBNP (as well as BNP) values are generally very high at birth and rapidly fall within the first few weeks. Pediatric reference intervals below are based on Nir et al Pediatr Cardiol (2009, 30:3-8) and other studies. 
0-2 days: 321-13222 pg/mL 
3-11 days: 263 -6502 pg/mL 
>1 mo to 1 year: 37-1000 pg/mL 
>1 to 2 years: 39-675 pg/mL 
>2 to 6 years: 23-327 pg/mL

proBNP, PRO BNP; BNPNTPRO; BNP-NTPRO; NTPROBNP; NT-PROBNP, PRO BRAIN NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE

N terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) is a split product of proBNP that correlates with release of this hormone during left vetricular dysfunction and heart failure. NTproBNP does not suffer interference from exogenous BNP used to treat congestive heart failure.