In this episode of EMplify: Conversation, Sam Ashoo, MD and TR Eckler, MD discuss high sensitivity troponin testing and clinical pathways.

Topics discussed include: 

• Which troponin assay are you currently using and what are its limits of detection? 
• Do delta troponin results only count if they increase? 
• If the test result is indeterminate, then what? repeat in 1 hr (European standard), repeat in 3 hours (depending on chest pain onset), or just admit if the HEAR(T) score is high? 
• What does one negative troponin on presentation mean? No death in 30 days to 1 year but still missed MI?
• And more... 

References

• Anand A, et al; HiSTORIC Investigators†. High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin on Presentation to Rule Out Myocardial Infarction: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Circulation. 2021 Jun 8;143(23):2214-2224. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.052380. Epub 2021 Mar 23. PMID: 33752439; PMCID: PMC8177493.
• Chapman AR, et al. Association of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I Concentration With Cardiac Outcomes in Patients With Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome. JAMA. 2017 Nov 21;318(19):1913-1924. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.17488. Erratum in: JAMA. 2018 Mar 20;319(11):1168. Soerensen NA [corrected to Sorensen NA]. PMID: 29127948; PMCID: PMC5710293.
• Chenevier-Gobeaux C, et al. Multi-centre evaluation of recent troponin assays for the diagnosis of NSTEMI. Pract Lab Med. 2018 Feb 26;11:23-32. doi: 10.1016/j.plabm.2018.02.003. PMID: 30014015; PMCID: PMC6045566.
• Chiang CH, Chiang CH, Lee GH, Qian F, Chen SC, Lee CC. Time to Implement the European Society of Cardiology 0/1-Hour Algorithm. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Nov;76(5):690-692. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.05.038. PMID: 33097132; PMCID: PMC7575504.
• McCarthy CP, Januzzi JL Jr. Increasingly Sensitive Troponin Assays: Is Perfect the Enemy of Good? J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 Dec;9(23):e019678. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.120.019678. Epub 2020 Nov 26. PMID: 33238785; PMCID: PMC7763764.
• Neumann JT, et al. Application of High-Sensitivity Troponin in Suspected Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med. 2019 Jun 27;380(26):2529-2540. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1803377. PMID: 31242362.
• Miller J, Cook B, Singh-Kucukarslan G, Tang A, Danagoulian S, Heath G, Khalifa Z, Levy P, Mahler SA, Mills N, McCord J. RACE-IT - Rapid Acute Coronary Syndrome Exclusion using the Beckman Coulter Access high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2021 Apr 23;22:100773. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100773. PMID: 34013092; PMCID: PMC8114080.