To establish the correlation between The level of serum nt-pro brain Natriuretic peptide and the severity of Left to right shunt (qp/qs) ratio in Children with acyanotic congenital Heart disease – a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children, with left-to-right shunts (e.g., ASD, VSD, PDA) being common acyanotic defects. Accurate assessment of shunt severity, quantified by the Qp/Qs ratio, is critical for clinical management. Echocardiography remains the gold standard but is resource-intensive. Serum N-terminal pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NTproBNP) has emerged as a potential biomarker for shunt severity, particularly in resource-limited settings. Objective: This study aimed to establish a correlation between serum NT-proBNP levels and the Qp/Qs ratio in children with acyanotic CHD and determine a cut-off value for predicting significant shunting.