[Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels and their clinical importance in infant with pneumonia associated with congestive heart failure].

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) Levels were measured by radioimmunoassay both in 38 infants with pneumonia and 20 infants with pneumonia associated with congestive heart failure (CHF). 10 of the 20 infants with CHF were examined with echocardiography during CHF and recovery period. The plasma ANP Levels in the pneumonia group was 424.3 +/- 214.4 pg/ml (mean +/- SD). Which was significantly higher than that of the control group (P less than 0.01). The plasma ANP levels in pneumonia with CHF group was 684.4 +/- 366.9 pg/ml, which was significantly higher than that in the group of pneumonia without CHF (P less than 0.01). Positive linear correlation was found between the mean pulmonary artery pressure and plasma ANP content (r = 0.717, P less than 0.05). The results of this study suggest that plasma ANP concentration may give useful information on the indication of using vasodilators in infant with pneumonia. It may also be taken as a practical diagnostic indicator in pneumonia associated with CHF.