Combined copeptin and troponin to rule out myocardial infarction in patients with chest pain and a history of coronary artery disease

Purpose

The main objective of this multicentric study was to evaluate the additional value of copeptin to conventional cardiac troponin (cTn) for a rapid ruling out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with acute chest pain and a previous history of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Patients and Method

Patients with a previous history of CAD presenting in the emergency department with acute chest pain lasting for 6 hours or less suggestive of non–ST-segment elevation AMI and negative cTn were selected. Levels of copeptin were blindly measured at presentation. The diagnosis was adjudicated by 2 independent experts using all available data including cTn.

Results

A total of 451 patients were included (mean age, 67 ± 14; 330 [73%] men). The adjudicated final diagnosis was AMI in 36 (8%) patients, unstable angina in 131 (29%), and other diagnosis in 284 (63%). A negative cTn combined with a copeptin value lower than 10.7 pmol/L at presentation was able to rule out AMI, with a negative predictive value of 98% (95% confidence interval, 95%-99%).

Conclusion

In triage patients with acute chest pain lasting for less than 6 hours and a previous history of CAD, the combination of copeptin and cTn allows for the ruling out AMI, with a negative predictive value greater than 95%.     

Creatine kinase-MB does not add additional benefit to a negative troponin in the evaluation of chest pain

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine whether current troponin assay alone can be used for initial screening for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and whether creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) can safely be eliminated from this evaluation in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of patients who had cardiac troponin T (Roche, Basel, Switzerland) and CK-MB ordered at an urban academic level 1 trauma center with more than 55,000 annual visits. Patients with troponin testing in the ED were identified over a period of 12 months, and corresponding CK-MB indexes were examined identifying patients with negative troponins (<0.01) and positive CK-MB indexes (>6.0). In these patients, further cardiac markers, hospital course, and 30-day mortality were then evaluated. A 99% confidence interval around point estimate was used in data analysis.

Results

During the study period, there were 11,092 separate ED patient encounters where a patient had at least one troponin resulted. Most (97.9%) of the samples had an associated CK-MB ordered. There were 7545 initial negative troponins representing 68% of all initial samples. Seven of these had an associated positive MB index. When subsequent troponins were evaluated, an additional 4910 negative troponins were identified, with 4 patients having a positive MB. None of these 11 patients were judged to have ruled in for AMI by the treating physicians. The rate of true-positive CK-MB index with negative troponin was 0% (99% confidence interval, 0-0.04%).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that CK-MB is not necessary in the initial screening for AMI and may safely be omitted in patients with negative troponins.     

高敏肌钙蛋白T对肾脏受损的急性心肌梗死患者诊断准确性研究

目的 探讨高敏肌钙蛋白T (hs-cTnT)对肾脏受损的急性心肌梗死(AMI)患者诊断准确性.方法 根据估算肾小球滤过率(eGFR)不同将纳入研究的1934例出现胸痛的患者进行分组,分别为eGFR≥90 mL/(min·1.73 m2)组[慢性肾脏病(CKD)Ⅰ期]689例、eGFR 60～＜90 mL/(min·1....     

Utilization of coronary computed tomography angiography for exclusion of coronary artery disease in ED patients with low- to intermediate-risk chest pain: a 1-year experience

Objective

We describe our preliminary experience with coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in emergency department (ED) patients with low- to intermediate-risk chest pain.

Methods

A convenience cohort of patients with low- to intermediate-risk acute chest pain presenting to a suburban ED in 2009 were prospectively enrolled if the attending physician ordered a CCTA for possible coronary artery disease. Demographic and clinician data were entered into structured data collection sheets required before any imaging. The results of CCTA were classified as normal, nonobstructive (1%-50% stenosis), and obstructive (>50% stenosis). Outcomes included hospital admission and death within a 6-month follow-up period.

Results

In 2009, 507 patients with ED chest pain had a CCTA while in the ED. The median (interquartile range) age was 54 (47-62) years; 51.5% were female. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk scores were 0 (42.6%), 1 (42.2%), 2 (11.8%), 3 (2.4%), and 4 (1.0%). The results of CCTA were normal (n = 363), nonobstructive (n = 123), and obstructive (n = 21). Admission rates by CCTA results were obstructive (90.5%), nonobstructive (4.9%), and normal (3.0%). None of the patients with normal or nonobstructive CCTA died within the 6-month follow-up period (0%; 95% confidence interval, 0-0.9%).

Conclusions

Many ED patients with low- to intermediate-risk chest pain have a normal or nonobstructive CCTA and may be safely discharged from the ED without any associated mortality within the following 6 months.     

Mode of arrival does not predict myocardial infarction in patients who present to the ED with chest pain

Aims

This study aims to determine if patients who arrive by ambulance with a chief complaint of chest pain have a higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI) than those who arrive via alternate transportation.

Methods

All patients ages 18–99 who presented to an urban academic ED between January 2006 and July 2006 with a chief complaint that included “chest pain” were eligible for retrospective analysis. Patients who were transferred or who left without being seen or against medical advice were excluded. Myocardial infarction was defined as patients who were admitted and who had elevated troponin I or went urgently to catheterization laboratory and had >90% occlusion of a vessel, with a final clinical impression of MI.

Results

There were 690 visits for chest pain during the study period, representing 4% of total ED census. A total of 39 visits met exclusion criteria, and 37 patients had 52 repeat visits, leaving 599 unique patients included for analysis. Mean age was 48.8?±?1.4 years (SD 17.7), 44.6% were female, and 35 patients (5.8%) were diagnosed with MI. In all, 157 patients (26.2%) arrived via EMS. Patients who arrived by ambulance did not have a significant difference in rate of MI when compared with alternate transportation [7.0% vs. 5.4%, OR (95% CI) = 1.3 (0.6–2.7), p?=?0.469]. Only 31.4% (11/35) of patients who ultimately were diagnosed with MI arrived by ambulance.

Conclusion

We were unable to show a significant difference in rate of MI between patients who arrived via ambulance or private transportation. Equal consideration and urgency should be given to both types of patients when they arrive at the ED.     

Diagnostic performance of four point of care cardiac troponin I assays to rule in and rule out acute myocardial infarction

ObjectiveThis study evaluated the diagnostic performance of four point-of-care (POC) cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assays compared to a central laboratory cTnI assay for detecting myocardial injury and diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Design and methodsPlasma obtained at admission, 3 h, and 6 h post-admission in 169 patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was studied. cTnI concentrations were measured on the Instrumentation Laboratory prototype GEM Immuno, Radiometer AQT90, Mitsubishi PATHFAST, Abbott i-STAT and the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostic Vitros assays. MI was determined based on 99th percentiles according to Universal MI guidelines.ResultsFor ruling in MI at presentation (0 h), the GEM Immuno (sensitivity 63%, specificity 85%) and PATHFAST (sensitivity 53%, specificity 86%) were comparable to the OCD (sensitivity 68%, specificity 81%), and significantly better (p < 0.05) than the AQT90 (sensitivity 26%, specificity 93%) and i-STAT (sensitivity 32%, specificity 92%). cTnI concentrations and serial rising patterns after MI differed by each assay. Negative predictive values were > 90% and ROC AUCs were > 0.90 after 6 h for all assays. Detection of myocardial injury in non-ischemic pathologies accounted for lower than 100% specificity for MI.ConclusioncTnI is a sensitive biomarker for detection of myocardial injury. The analytical variability that exists between POC cTnI assays demonstrates substantial diagnostic differences for ruling in and ruling out MI in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of ACS.     

The diagnostic value of troponin T and myoglobin levels in acute myocardial infarction: a study in Turkish patients

This study compares the diagnostic value of troponin T (TnT) and myoglobin with creatinine kinase (CK) for myocardial infarction (MI) in a tertiary care centre in a developing nation. The study group comprised 33 acute myocardial infarction patients and 27 healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curves for TnT, myoglobin and CK were drawn and areas under the curve calculated. At admission, myoglobin levels had greater diagnostic sensitivity than TnT or CK levels. After 2 h, myoglobin and TnT had equal sensitivity and specificity, whereas CK still had lower sensitivity than myoglobin and TnT. After 4 h there was no difference between the tests. It was concluded that myoglobin levels on admission and TnT at 2 h had the greatest diagnostic rate, whereas all the tests were similar after 4 h for MI.     

Early rule out of acute myocardial infarction in ED patients: value of combined high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and ultrasensitive copeptin assays at admission

Objective

We sought to evaluate the added value of ultrasensitive copeptin (us-copeptin) for early rule out of acute myocardial infarction in a prospective cohort of emergency department (ED) patients with acute chest pain.

Methods

This was a prospective study including consecutive patients with acute chest pain presenting to the ED within 12 hours of symptom onset. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT, Roche Diagnostics, Meylan, France) and us-copeptin (ThermoFisher Scientific, Clichy, France) were blindly assayed from venous blood samples obtained at admission. Diagnosis was made by 2 ED physicians using all available data and serial cardiac troponin I as the biochemical standard. Diagnostic performances of us-copeptin combined with hs-cTnT were assessed using logistic regression. Analysis was conducted in all patients and in patients without ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Results

A total of 194 patients were included (age, 61 [48-75] years; male sex, 63%). Acute myocardial infarction occurred in 52 (27%) patients, including non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 25 (13%). Patients with acute myocardial infarction had higher levels of hs-cTnT (50 [95% confidence interval, 19-173] ng/L) and us-copeptin (30 [13-113] pmol/L) at admission compared with those without (P < .05). Combination of markers significantly improved receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (from 0.89 [0.85-0.92] for hs-cTnT alone to 0.93 [0.89-0.97], P = .018). Sensitivity and negative predictive value were increased, particularly for NSTEMI diagnosis (sensitivity, 76% [54.9-90.6] to 96% [79.6-99.9]; negative predictive value, 95% [90.4-98.3] to 98.9% [94.2 to 100]).

Conclusion

Assessment of us-copeptin combined with hs-cTnT on ED admission could allow safe and early rule out of NSTEMI for patients with negative results on both markers and help identify patients who may be suitable for discharge.     

The absence of coronary artery calcification does not rule out the presence of significant coronary artery disease in Asian patients with acute chest pain

The absence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) has been used to as an indication to rule out significant coronary artery disease (CAD). However, diagnostic usefulness of ‘zero calcium score criteria’ as a decision-making strategy to rule out significant CAD as the etiology of acute chest pain has not been studied in depth, especially in Asian ethnicity. We prospectively enrolled 136 Korean patients (58% men, 56 ± 13 years) who presented to the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain and non-diagnostic ECG. All patients underwent 64-slice CT for calcium scoring and coronary CT angiography (cCTA). We investigated the association of CAC with the presence of ≥50% CAD on cCTA and with a final diagnosis of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Ninety-two patients out of 136 (68%) did not show detectable CAC, and 14 out of these 92 without CAC (15%) had ≥50% CAD on cCTA. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of zero calcium score criteria for the detection of ≥50% CAD were 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.50–0.80), 0.83 (0.74–0.90), 0.64 (0.48–0.77), 0.85 (0.75–0.91), respectively. Patients who had ≥50% CAD without detectable CAC were younger (P = 0.001), and had a higher prevalence of smoking (P = 0.048) as compared to patients with a degree of CAC. Most of the patients with ≥50% CAD of non-calcified plaque were younger than 60 years of age (79%, 11/14), however, 3 of them were older than 60 years of age. Forty-five patients (33%) were subsequently diagnosed as having ACS, and 38% (17/45) of them had no CAC. Zero calcium score did not necessarily guarantee the absence of significant CAD, even in patients older than 60 years, in Asian ethnicity presenting to the ED with chest pain.     

高敏cTnI在急性心肌梗死患者中的诊断阈值与影响因素分析

目的研究急性心肌梗死(AMI)患者高敏肌钙蛋白I(hs-cTnI)的测定阈值及其影响因素。方法选取2014~2015年来该院内科急诊就诊,初次检测hs-cTnI患者9 236例(9 099例诊断为非AMI患者和137例诊断为AMI患者),将非AMI的患者按年龄分为老年组(60岁)和年轻组(≤60岁),并且分析性别对hs-cTnI的影响;根据确诊为AMI的cTnI值做ROC曲线来确定本地区诊断AMI最佳阈值,并按年龄和性别分组,做出诊断AMI的适合阈值。结果非AMI人群中,老年男性患者组hs-cTnI平均水平39.21ng/L[(37.48~40.93)ng/L],高于年轻男性患者组的平均水平22.38ng/L[(21.16~23.6)ng/L],差异有统计学意义(P0.05);老年女性患者组的hs-cTnI平均水平为33.84ng/L[(32.13~35.54)ng/L],高于年轻女性组的hs-cTnI平均水平17.41ng/L[(16.46~18.36)ng/L],差异有统计学意义(P0.05);总体男性患者hs-cTnI平均水平为31.26ng/L[(30.17~32.34)ng/L],高于总体女性患者26.8ng/L[(25.73~27.86)ng/L],差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。AMI患者中,利用ROC曲线分析整体患者的hs-cTnI诊断AMI最佳阈值为45ng/L,在老年男性和老年女性组中分别为135和45ng/L,均不同于试剂生产商给出的AMI诊断cut off值120ng/L。结论 hs-cTnI水平与性别有关,男性高于女性,与年龄呈正相关,建立本地区人群诊断AMI的hs-cTnI阈值应考虑到这些影响因素。     

Rapid rule out of acute myocardial infarction in the observe zone using a combination of presentation N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I

Background and aimsThe release of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is strongly triggered by myocardial ischemia. We aimed to investigate whether the addition of NT-proBNP to high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnI) at presentation could provide better performance in risk stratification and thus early rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients of the “observe zone”.MethodsEmergency department (ED) patients presenting with symptoms suspicious for AMI were consecutively enrolled. Blood samples were obtained at presentation and tested for hs-cTnI and NT-proBNP. All available medical records pertaining to the patient from ED presentation to 30-day follow-up were used for adjudication of the primary outcome. The incremental diagnostic value added by NT-proBNP to hs-cTnI was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, continuous net reclassification improvement (cNRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of different approaches for early rule out.ResultsOf the 165 patients we analyzed, 55 (33.3%) had index AMI. For hs-cTnI alone, area under the curve for index AMI was not significantly increased after adding NT-proBNP (0.773 vs 0.809; p = .076). Adjustment of hs-cTnI by NT-proBNP improved the predictive value of hs-cTnI, showed by cNRI (0.418, 95%CI 0.102–0.735, p = .009) and IDI (0.055, 95%CI 0.017–0.092, p = .004). Compared to hs-cTnI, the combined test identified 14% more patients as low-risk and safe for early discharge.ConclusionsCombination of presentation hs-cTnI and NT-proBNP provided better predictive performance for AMI in patients of the observe zone presenting with symptoms of chest pain as compared to hs-cTnI alone. The combined test outperformed hs-cTnI by correctly identifying nearly 14% more patients as low-risk and safe for early discharge. Future multi-center studies are needed to verify the results and to determine the best clinical use of the combination of NT-proBNP and hs-cTnI in the early diagnosis of AMI.     

Comparison of high sensitivity troponin T and I assays in the diagnosis of non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction in emergency patients with chest pain

Objectives

Concentrations of troponin measured with high sensitivity troponin assays are raised in a number of emergency department (ED) patients; however many are not diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Clinical comparisons between the early use (2 h after presentation) of high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and I (hs-cTnI) assays for the diagnosis of AMI have not been reported.

Design and methods

Early (0 h and 2 h) hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI assay results in 1571 ED patients with potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without ST elevation on electrocardiograph (ECG) were evaluated. The primary outcome was diagnosis of index AMI adjudicated by cardiologists using the local cTnI assay results taken ≥ 6 h after presentation, ECGs and clinical information. Stored samples were later analysed with hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI assays.

Results

The ROC analysis for AMI (204 patients; 13.0%) for hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI after 2 h was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.94–0.97) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97–0.99) respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR of hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI for AMI after 2 h were 94.1% (95% CI: 90.0–96.6) and 95.6% (95% CI: 91.8–97.7), 79.0% (95% CI: 76.8–81.1) and 92.5% (95% CI: 90.9–93.7), 4.48 (95% CI: 4.02–5.00) and 12.86 (95% CI: 10.51–15.31), and 0.07 (95% CI: 0.04–0.13) and 0.05 (95% CI:0.03–0.09) respectively.

Conclusions

Exclusion of AMI 2 h after presentation in emergency patients with possible ACS can be achieved using hs-cTnT or hs-cTnI assays. Significant differences in specificity of these assays are relevant and if using the hs-cTnT assay, further clinical assessment in a larger proportion of patients would be required.     

The feasibility of the 1-h high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T algorithm to rule-in and rule-out acute myocardial infarction in Thai emergency patients: an observational study

Background

The 3-h high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) algorithm is the most commonly used scheme to diagnose acute myocardial infarction. The 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm has recently been approved by the European Society of Cardiology as an alternative algorithm for earlier diagnosis. If the hs-cTnT test cannot discriminate the diagnosis of the patient at 1 h, the patient is defined as observational group. Their test must be repeated at 3 h. A high prevalence of this group may indicate a low clinical utility of the 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm. This study was aimed to estimate the proportion of the observational group in Thai emergency department (ED) patients and also the time to rule-in/out between both the algorithms.

Methods

A historical control study was conducted in patients with chest pain for 1–12 h at the ED of Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. The study compared two groups: one prospective group of all patients evaluated with the 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm between June and September 2017 and one historical control group evaluated with the 3-h hs-cTnT algorithm between January and March 2017.

Results

A total of 130 patients were included (3-h hs-cTnT algorithm group n?=?65 and 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm group n?=?65). Twelve patients [18.5% (95% CI 10.0–30.1)] were categorized as observational group in the 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm group. The mean rule-in/out times in the 3-h hs-cTnT algorithm and 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm groups were 238 min (SD 63.3) and 134 min (SD 68.5), respectively (both p?<?0.001). The time to disposition was also shortened in the 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm group (p?<? 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis performed to identify and adjust for confounders among patient characteristics revealed no significant confounders.

Conclusions

The use of the 1-h hs-cTnT algorithm in the ED resulted in an acceptable proportion in the observational group and a decreased time to rule-in/out compared with the 3-h hs-cTnT algorithm.

     

Minor troponin T elevation in patients 6 months after acute myocardial infarction: an observational study

Background  Troponin elevation in patients with stable coronary heart disease is associated with adverse outcome and prognosis. However, the mechanism is not yet clearly understood. Our objectives were to examine the prevalence and range of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in stable patients, 6 months after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using a new high sensitive cTnT assay and to investigate the association of minor cTnT elevation in these patients to clinical variables, NT-proBNP and cardiac MRI-findings. Study design and methods  cTnT was measured in 98 patients 6 months after AMI with a precommercial assay by electrochemiluminescence methods (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). cTnT values were correlated with clinical and angiographic variables, NT-proBNP concentrations and with cardiac MRI-findings. Results  Minor cTnT concentrations were detectable in 90% of the entire cohort, of whom 16% had cTnT values above the 99th percentile (>12 ng/L). These patients were also significantly older, suffered more frequently from hypertension, had a higher New York Heart Association class and received more often diuretics at follow up. Patients with cTnT elevation had a more impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.02) but did not have an increased infarct size (P = 0.73). Conclusions  Elevated minor cTnT levels are frequently detectable in patients 6 months after AMI. Increased cTnT level were associated with clinical parameter for heart failure, impaired ejection fraction and higher NT-proBNP levels suggesting that myocardial dysfunction is a main cause for cTnT elevation in these patient group.