Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
E
William A Parsonage levation of cardiac troponin
DM, MRCP, FRACP, Abstract
Cardiologist 1 (cTn) levels is central to the
Objectives: To validate an accelerated biomarker strategy using a high-
definition of acute myocardial sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay for diagnosing acute myocardial
Jaimi H Greenslade
BPsych(Hons), PhD, infarction (AMI).1 Increasingly sensi- infarction (AMI) in patients presenting to the emergency department with chest
Research Fellow, tive cTn assays offer the potential for pain; and to validate this strategy in combination with the National Heart
Emergency Medicine 1
AMI to be diagnosed earlier than the Foundation of Australia/Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand risk
Christopher J time points recommended in estab- stratification model.
Hammett
MB ChB, FRACP, lished clinical guidelines.2 Earlier Design, setting and patients: Single-centre, prospective, observational cohort
Cardiologist 1 study of 764 adults presenting to a tertiary hospital with symptoms of possible
diagnosis allows for more timely initi-
acute coronary syndrome between November 2008 and February 2011.
Arvin Lamanna ation of therapy for those with AMI
MB BS, FRACP, Main outcome measures: AMI or cardiac death within 24 hours of presentation
Cardiology Registrar 1
and earlier rule-out of AMI for others. (primary), and major adverse cardiac events within 30 days (secondary).
This is relevant to overcrowded hospi-
Jillian R Tate Results: An elevated hs-cTnT assay result above the 99th percentile at either
BSc(Hons), MSc,
tal emergency departments, where the 0 h or 2 h time points had sensitivity of 96.4% (95% CI, 87.9%–99.0%),
Scientist, Chemical chest pain remains one of the most specificity of 82.6% (95% CI, 79.7%–85.2%), negative predictive value of
Pathology 1
common reasons for presentation.3 In 99.7% (95% CI, 98.8%–99.9%) and positive predictive value of 30.5% (95%
Jacobus P Ungerer Australia, time-based political imper- CI, 24.2%–37.6%) for diagnosing AMI. Compared with a traditional 6 h cardiac
MB ChB, MMed, FRCPA,
atives such as the National Emer- troponin testing strategy, the accelerated strategy led to reclassification of risk in
Director, Chemical
Pathology 1
only two patients with adverse cardiac outcomes, with no net effect on
gency Access Target have further appropriate management.
Kevin Chu increased the need for efficient yet
Conclusions: In patients presenting with chest pain, an accelerated biomarker
MB BS, MSc, safe means of assessing patients with strategy using the hs-cTnT assay performed well in the initial diagnosis of AMI.
Emergency Physician 1
chest pain.4 The accelerated strategy was also effective when incorporated into a
Martin Than No universally agreed nomencla- comprehensive strategy of risk stratification that included clinical and
MB BS,
Emergency Physician 2 ture of cTn assays exists. It is generally demographic factors. The time saved by this approach could have a major
impact on health service delivery.
held that a highly sensitive assay
Anthony F T Brown Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry
MB ChB, should have a coefficient of variation
Emergency Physician 1 ACTRN12610000053022.
(CV) of < 10% at the level of the 99th
Louise Cullen percentile of a healthy population and
MB BS, should be able to measure cTn in was to examine the accuracy of pre- can Heart Association definitions for
1
Emergency Physician
> 50% of such a population. Recent dicting 30-day major adverse cardiac possible cardiac symptoms (ie, acute
guidance includes preliminary advice events (MACE) using a model incorpo- chest, epigastric, neck, jaw or arm
1 Royal Brisbane and
Women’s Hospital, regarding the appropriate use of rating 0 h and 2 h hs-cTnT assay meas- pain; or discomfort or pressure with-
Brisbane, QLD. highly sensitive assays.2 One such urements and risk stratification out an apparent non-cardiac source).8
2 Christchurch Hospital,
Christchurch, New Zealand.
assay has been in clinical use in Aus- according to the guidelines of the Patients were excluded for any of the
tralia since 2011 and although its National Heart Foundation of Aus- following: a clear cause of symptoms
william_parsonage@
health.qld.gov.au uptake has been brisk, a correspond- tralia and Cardiac Society of Australia other than acute coronary syndrome
ing change in the diagnostic approach and New Zealand (NHFA/CSANZ).7 (ACS); inability or unwillingness to
MJA 2014; 200: 161–165 according to this guidance has been provide consent or be contacted after
doi: 10.5694/mja13.10466 variable. The reasons for this are discharge; recruitment considered
Methods
unknown but may include the refer- inappropriate by staff (eg, palliative
ence to a diagnostic cut-off that is at This was a prespecified substudy of a treatment); interhospital transfer;
odds with the universal definition of prospective, observational cohort pregnancy; and previous enrolment.
myocardial infarction,5,6 reluctance to study conducted between November Perceived high risk of ACS was not an
change long established practice, or 2008 and February 2011. Consecutive exclusion criterion. Patients with miss-
limited local clinical outcome data eligible patients presenting during ing blood samples were also excluded.
using this assay. office hours to a single, large, metro- The study was carried out according to
The Medical Journal Ourofprimary
Australia
aimISSN: 0025-
was to examine the politan tertiary hospital emergency the principles of the Declaration of
729X 17 February 2014 200accuracy
diagnostic 3 161-165
of the high-sensi- department with symptoms sugges- Helsinki, approved by the Royal Bris-
©The Medical Journal of Australia 2014
www.mja.com.au tivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) tive of cardiac chest pain were bane and Women’s Hospital Human
Research assay for the diagnosis of AMI, using recruited. Inclusion criteria were age Research Ethics Committee (2008/
serial measurements at 0 h and 2 h ⭓ 18 years, and at least 5 minutes of 101), and registered with the Austral-
after presentation, in an unselected, possible cardiac symptoms where the ian New Zealand Clinical Trials Regis-
well characterised cohort of patients attending physician intended to per- try (ACTRN12610000053022). Written
with chest pain. Our secondary aim form serial cTn tests. We used Ameri- informed consent was obtained.
3 Diagnostic accuracy of elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay result above 99th percentile for the primary outcome*
Diagnostic accuracy
* The primary outcome was acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or cardiac death within 24 h of presentation. As there were no cardiac deaths within 24 h, these figures reflect only AMI. ◆
diac deaths within 24 h), compared cTn testing over 6 h. The hs-cTnT 4 Patients with negative high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T
with the adjudicated end points. assay is currently the only highly (hs-cTnT) assays and adjudicated diagnoses of acute
Compared with the reference stand- sensitive troponin assay in wide- myocardial infarction (AMI)
Patient 1 was a man aged in his 70s with known hypertension and
ard using cTnI measurement at 6 h, spread clinical use in Australia. It has dyslipidaemia, and previous AMI, angina and coronary artery bypass
the hs-cTnT assay resulted in two been widely adopted despite the lack surgery. His cardiac troponin I (cTnI) values were 20 ng/L and 200 ng/L
at 0 h and 6 h, respectively. His 0 h and 2 h electrocardiograms (ECGs)
false negative cases (Box 4). Both of locally derived data regarding its were categorised as abnormal but not diagnostic of ischaemia.
these patients had an adjudicated diagnostic performance. Our data Angiography showed multivessel coronary artery disease. The
diagnosis of NSTEMI in the context provide a framework in which the adjudicated diagnosis was non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial
infarction (NSTEMI). His hs-cTnT values were 11.7 ng/L and 13.3 ng/L at
of a prior history of coronary artery assay may be used for rapid exclusion 0 h and 2 h, respectively.
disease. of AMI, such that patients may be Patient 2 was a woman aged in her 60s with a past history of
NHFA/CSANZ risk stratification discharged (if otherwise considered hypertension, dyslipidaemia and coronary artery disease with angina.
Her cTnI values were 10 ng/L and 200 ng/L at 0 h and 6 h, respectively.
incorporating the hs-cTnT assay at 0 h low risk) or proceed rapidly to further Her 0 h and 2 h ECGs were categorised as normal. She had positive
and 2 h performed similarly to the testing to exclude UAP (if intermedi- stress myocardial perfusion imaging, and the adjudicated diagnosis
was NSTEMI. Her hs-cTnT value was 9.3 ng/L at both 0 h and 2 h. ◆
conventional strategy incorporating ate risk).
cTnI testing at 0 h and 6 h (Box 5). Exclusion of a diagnosis of AMI
One patient with an adjudicated diag- based on clinical grounds alone has Two patients with an adjudicated
nosis of NSTEMI was classified as been shown to be unsatisfactory, and end point of NSTEMI had negative
intermediate risk using the hs-cTnT discharge with a missed AMI carries hs-cTnT assays at 0 h and 2 h, yield-
assay but high risk using the 6 h cTnI a poor prognosis. 10 Therefore, a ing an overall sensitivity of 96%.
assay; and one patient with UAP was period of clinical observation and One patient had early objective
classified as high risk using the hs- serial testing has been recommended investigation and was found to have
cTnT assay but intermediate risk using for those at intermediate risk of reversible ischaemia on non-invasive
the 6 h cTnI assay (Box 6). No patients ACS.7 Critically, we have shown that testing. The other patient would
were incorrectly classified as low risk the negative predictive value of serial have been considered at high risk of
using the 2 h strategy when compared measurements with the hs-cTnT ACS due to a prior history of coro-
with the standard 6 h strategy. assay at or below the 99th percentile nary artery bypass surgery. In keep-
Most of the 123 patients who had in the 2 h after presentation excluded ing with current guidelines, further
elevated hs-cTnT assay results and an a diagnosis of AMI with a very high investigation would have been rec-
adjudicated diagnosis other than AMI level of certainty (over 99%). ommended for both patients. These
had some other significant cardiac
diagnosis (Box 7).
5 Comparison of risk classification* and rates of MACE† within 30 days using the
high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay versus the cardiac troponin I
Discussion (cTnI) assay
In this first analysis of the perform- Risk category hs-cTnT assay at 0 h and 2 h cTnI assay at 0 h and 6 h
ance of an accelerated biomarker Low 0/8 (0 [0–3.2%]) 0/9 (0 [0–3.0%])
strategy using the hs-cTnT assay for Intermediate 11/457 (2.4% [1.3%–4.3%]) 11/478 (2.3% [1.3%–4.1%])
diagnosing AMI in an Australian
High 56/277 (20.2% [15.9%–25.3%]) 56/255 (22.0% [17.3%–27.4%])
cohort of patients presenting with
chest pain, we found that using the MACE = major adverse cardiac events. * According to National Heart Foundation of Australia and
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand guidelines.7 † Data are number of patients with MACE/
hs-cTnT assay in the 2 h after presen- number of patients in risk category (% of risk category [95% CI]). This analysis excludes 22 patients
with an initial electrocardiogram suggestive of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, for
tation performed well compared with whom further risk stratification is irrelevant. ◆
the conventional approach of serial
Hypotension or syncope 4 3.3% 0.5% Competing interests: Louise Cullen, Anthony Brown,
Martin Than, Jaimi Greenslade, Christopher Hammett,
Life-threatening arrhythmia 3 2.4% 0.4% Jacobus Ungerer, Kevin Chu and William Parsonage were
Inappropriate ICD shock 1 0.8% 0.1% investigators on a Roche Diagnostics research grant,
which provided reagents and funding to facilitate this
Significant valve disease 1 0.8% 0.1% project. Roche Diagnostics had no role in the study design
1 0.8% 0.1% or implementation or preparation of the manuscript.
Pulmonary embolus
Non-cardiac or other 54 43.9% 7.1% Received 11 Apr 2013, accepted 22 Aug 2013.
1 Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al. Third
CAD = coronary artery disease. UAP = unstable angina pectoris. SVT = supraventricular tachycardia. ICD = implantable universal definition of myocardial infarction.
cardioverter defibrillator. ◆
Circulation 2012; 126: 2020-2035.
2 Chew DP, Aroney CN, Aylward PE, et al. 2011 coronary syndromes 2006. Med J Aust 2006; 184 11 Reichlin T, Schindler C, Drexler B, et al. One-hour
Addendum to the National Heart Foundation of (8 Suppl): S1-S32. rule-out and rule-in of acute myocardial
Australia/Cardiac Society of Australia and New 8 Luepker RV, Apple FS, Christenson RH, et al. Case infarction using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin
Zealand Guidelines for the management of acute definitions for acute coronary heart disease in T. Arch Intern Med 2012; 172: 1211-1218.
coronary syndromes (ACS) 2006. Heart Lung Circ epidemiology and clinical research studies: a 12 Reichlin T, Hochholzer W, Bassetti S, et al. Early
2011; 20: 487-502. statement from the AHA Council on diagnosis of myocardial infarction with sensitive
3 Nawar EW, Niska RW, Xu J. National Hospital Epidemiology and Prevention; AHA Statistics
cardiac troponin assays. N Engl J Med 2009; 361:
Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2005 Committee; World Heart Federation Council on
Epidemiology and Prevention; the European 858-867.
emergency department summary. Adv Data
2007; (386): 1-32. Society of Cardiology Working Group on 13 Than M, Cullen L, Reid CM, et al. A 2-h diagnostic
Epidemiology and Prevention; Centers for protocol to assess patients with chest pain
4 Australian Government Department of Health
Disease Control and Prevention; and the National symptoms in the Asia-Pacific region (ASPECT):
and Ageing. A national health and hospitals
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Circulation a prospective observational validation study.
network for Australia’s future – delivering better
2003; 108: 2543-2549. Lancet 2011; 377: 1077-1084.
health and better hospitals. Canberra: DoHA,
2010. 9 Queensland Government. Emergency 14 Than M, Cullen L, Aldous S, et al. 2-Hour
department cardiac chest pain risk stratification accelerated diagnostic protocol to assess
5 Thygesen K, Alpert JS, White HD, et al. Universal pathway. Brisbane: Queensland Health, 2012.
definition of myocardial infarction. Circulation patients with chest pain symptoms using
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/caru/pathways/
2007; 116: 2634-2653. docs/pathway_chstpain.pdf (accessed Jan contemporary troponins as the only biomarker:
6 Ungerer JP, Pretorius CJ, Wilgen U, Tate JR. 2014). the ADAPT trial. J Am Coll Cardiol 2012; 59:
Ambiguous cardiac troponin recommendations. 2091-2098.
10 Pope JH, Aufderheide TP, Ruthazer R, et al.
Heart Lung Circ 2012; 21: 197. Missed diagnoses of acute cardiac ischemia in the 15 Thygesen K, Mair J, Giannitsis E, et al. How to use
7 Acute Coronary Syndrome Guidelines Working emergency department. N Engl J Med 2000; 342: high-sensitivity cardiac troponins in acute cardiac
Group. Guidelines for the management of acute 1163-1170. care. Eur Heart J 2012; 33: 2252-2257. ❏