Myocardial damage measurement

NEW YORK, June 26 (Praxis Press) Patients with chest pain who are discharged from the emergency department may be undiagnosed for prognostically important myocardial damage. One method for diagnosing these patients is measurement of cardiac troponin T. Collinson and colleagues performed a prospective observational study in 110 patients with chest pain of unknown cause. The patients were discharged after cardiac causes of chest pain were ruled out by clinical exam and electrocardiograph. The researchers then reviewed the patients 12-48 hours after the emergency room visit by repeat electrocardiography and measurement of cardiac troponin T. They found that eight (7%) patients had detectable cardiac troponin T levels and seven had concentrations greater than or equal to 0.1 μg/l. Overall, 6% of the patients discharged from the emergency department were undiagnosed for prognostically important myocardial damage. Follow up measurement of cardiac troponin T allows convenient audit of clinical performance in the emergency ...