Clinical Question: Can a single high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) reliably rule-out acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to safely enable earlier discharge?
Background: Current practice includes serial measures of hs-cTnT to rule out AMI.
Study Design: A meta-analysis of 11 prospective cohorts at various international locations
Setting: Patients presenting to emergency departments with chest pain.
Dr. Prerna Dogra
Synopsis: Of 9,241, a total of 2,825 patients were classified as low risk with a single negative hs-cTnT and nonischemic EKG. The primary outcome was AMI during initial hospitalization. Of low-risk patients, 14 (0.5%) had AMI. Pooled estimated sensitivity was 98.7% and pooled negative predictive value was 99.3%. For the secondary outcome of 30-day major adverse cardiac events, pooled sensitivity was 98%. Limitations include a small number of studies, high statistical heterogeneity, variation in troponin assays, and variable prevalence of AMI across studies.
Bottom Line: A single negative hs-cTnT and nonischemic EKG after three hours of chest pain can reliably rule out AMI. Further research is, however, required to validate the unequivocal use of this early rule out strategy.
Citation: Pickering J, Than M, Cullen L, et al. Rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction with a single high-sensitivity cardiac troponin t measurement below the limit of detection: A collaborative meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2017 May 16;166(10):715-24.
Dr. Dogra is clinical instructor of medicine in the University of Kentucky division of hospital medicine.