NPPB and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: PU was useful for the diagnosis in 68% of dyspneicpatients in the prehospital setting with no delay in treatmentand/or transportation, PE being present in 100% of those withdecompensated HF, in 17% of patients with ACS, and in 20% ofpatients with COPD (p < 0.01), PE thus being a diagnosticmarker in patients with decompensated HF.13 In thediagnosis of HF on PU, the S = 100% and E = 95% were comparableto those of NT-proBNP (> 1.000 pg/mL), S = 92% and E = 89%,and superior to those of the modified Boston criteria, S = 85%and E = 86%. The combination of PU and NT-proBNP showed S and Eof 100%.18