New and Established Troponin Assays Are Highly Sensitive and Specific for AMI

Use of either type of assay can safely exclude or confirm AMI within 3 hours of emergency department admission.

Early recognition or exclusion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is critical for determining which patients do or do not require additional diagnostic and therapeutic measures. In a prospective study, researchers compared the accuracy of a novel highly sensitive troponin I (hsTnI) assay (Architect STAT High Sensitivity Troponin; Abbott Diagnostics) and an established troponin I (eTnI) assay (Architect STAT) for diagnosing AMI at admission and at 3 hours. The study was partially funded by the manufacturer of the assays.

Of 1818 consecutive patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome who were enrolled at three hospitals in Germany during 2007 and 2008, 413 patients (23%) received a diagnosis of AMI; 56 patients with AMI (14%) presented …

Reviewing Author

John A. Marx, MD, FAAEM