New Troponin Test Is Quicker, More Sensitive Than Standard Test
A new troponin test is quicker and more sensitive at detecting heart attacks in patients presenting with symptoms in the emergency room than the conventional test, according to new study data.1
The study was performed in an emergency room in Texas, where the test was administered to 536 patients presenting with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms.
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The test immediately ruled out heart attack in 30% of patients and an additional 25% at one hour. At 3 hours, the test ruled out heart attack in 83.8% of patients, compared with 80.4% using the conventional test.
“We anticipate that this procedure will allow many patients with chest pain to be given a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ diagnosis of whether they are having a heart attack faster,” said Rebecca Vigen, MD, MSCS, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and lead author on the study.2
—Amanda Balbi
References:
- Vigen R, Kuscher P, Fernandez F, et al. Evaluation of a novel rule-out myocardial infarction protocol incorporating high-sensitivity troponin T in a US hospital [published online August 6, 2018]. Circulation. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.033861.
- More sensitive blood test diagnoses heart attacks faster [press release]. Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association; August 6, 2018. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/more-sensitive-blood-test-diagnoses-heart-attacks-faster?preview=d982. Accessed August 6, 2018.