Sensitivity For Acute Coronary Syndrome Research Articles

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Salzburg Myocarditis Score in Differentiating Acute Coronary Syndrome and Myocarditis Among Adults Presenting With Acute Chest Pain: An Observational Study.

Acute chest pain is a common and challenging clinical presentation, necessitating rapid and accurate differentiation between potentially life-threatening etiologies like acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and acute myocarditis. The Salzburg Myocarditis Score (SMS), designed to aid in the early detection of myocarditis, offers a structured approach to this diagnostic challenge. However, the lack of a reliable clinical score for differentiating between these two conditions has been highlighted in recent literature, particularly in the context of limitations in using troponin levels alone for myocarditis diagnosis. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the SMS for differentiating ACS and myocarditis in adult patients presenting with acute chest pain at Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, India. A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted involving 100 consecutive patients presenting with acute chest pain. The SMS was calculated for each patient, and the final diagnoses of ACS or myocarditis were confirmed through comprehensive cardiac imaging (echocardiography or cardiac MRI) and additional biomarker analysis, following recommendations from established guidelines. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and a chi-square test were employed for statistical analysis. Among the 100 patients, 60 were diagnosed with ACS, and one was diagnosed with myocarditis. The SMS demonstrated high sensitivity (84.09%) and specificity (88.76%) for ACS, aligning with previous research findings. However, for myocarditis, the sensitivity was notably lower (25.81%), while specificity remained high (95.12%), consistent with concerns raised about the limitations of the score in identifying myocarditis. The PPV and NPV for ACS were 60% and 100%, respectively, while for myocarditis, the PPV and NPV were 2.5% and 100%, respectively. A chi-square test revealed a significant association between SMS predictions and the final diagnosis (p<0.001). The SMS is a valuable tool for identifying ACS in patients with acute chest pain. However, due to its low sensitivity for myocarditis, additional diagnostic tests, such as cardiac MRI, are crucial when myocarditis is suspected, despite a low SMS.

Association of albumin, fibrinogen, and modified proteins with acute coronary syndrome.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) comprises a pathophysiological spectrum of cardiovascular diseases related to atherosclerotic coronary plaque erosion. Oxidative stress and inflammation play pivotal roles in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which affects circulatory proteins, including albumin and fibrinogen, thereby causing an imbalance in albumin to globulin and fibrinogen to albumin ratios. This study aimed to assess the effect of oxidative stress on circulatory proteins, correlate these parameters, and investigate their significance in patients with ACS. In this case-control study, the major blood proteins in patients with ACS and a control group were evaluated using standard methods. Out of 70 ACS cases, 75.7% had ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 18.6% had non-STEMI, and 5.7% had unstable angina. The mean cardiac troponin I level in patients was 12.42 ng/mL. The patients demonstrated a significantly reduced level of human serum albumin (HSA), 3.81 ± 0.99 g/dL, compared to controls, 5.33 ± 0.66 g/dL. The albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) was significantly depressed in patients while their mean fibrinogen level and the fibrinogen to albumin ratio (FAR) were significantly higher. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that albumin and fibrinogen were significantly associated with the risk of ACS, showing the potential of these parameters to be used for risk assessment of ACS. The ischemia modified albumin (IMA) and protein carbonyls were significantly higher in patients which showed significant positive correlations with FAR. Albumin, IMA and protein carbonyls were found to have high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for ACS. Overall, these circulatory and modified proteins in ACS patients, particularly lower HSA, AGR, and higher IMA and protein carbonyls may help assess risk.

The predictive value of HEART score for acute coronary syndrome and significant coronary artery stenosis.

ObjectiveRapid determination of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the emergency department (ED) is very important for patients presenting with ischemic symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of HEART score for ACS and significant coronary artery stenosis (SCS).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data of patients who visited the ED with chest discomfort and were admitted to the cardiology department. Enrolled patients were classified into ACS and non-ACS groups according to their discharge diagnosis. Patients who underwent imaging were further divided into SCS and non-SCS groups according to study results. We compared age, sex, vital signs, risk factors, electrocardiogram, troponin, and HEART score for each group. For ACS and SCS predictive performance, the test characteristics of HEART score was calculated using sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, likelihood ratio, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsOf 207 patients, 112 had ACS. Among enrolled patients, 155 underwent imaging workup, of whom 67 had SCS. HEART score ≤3 had 93% sensitivity for ACS and 97% for SCS. HEART score ≥7 had 82% specificity for ACS and 83% for SCS. HEART score area under ROC curve for ACS was 0.706 (95% confidence interval, 0.627–0.776) and 0.737 (95% confidence interval, 0.660–0.804) for SCS.ConclusionHEART score was a fair predictor of ACS and SCS in ED patients who presented with chest symptoms and were admitted to the cardiology department. The predictive power of HEART score was better for SCS than for ACS.

Diagnostic accuracy of left ventricular diastolic transverse strain imaging by speckle tracking echocardiography for diagnosing chest pain in diabetic patients

Abstract Background Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) has been reported to be useful for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia by detecting delayed relaxation (diastolic stunning) after an episode of angina. 2D-longitudinal strain is not specific besides ischemia such as diastolic dysfunction, and diabetes have been associated with abnormal longitudinal fibers. The aim is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Left ventricular (LV) diastolic transverse strain imaging by STE to detect the presence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in diabetic patients with acute chest pain. Methods 385 consecutive patients with acute chest pain and without wall motion abnormality, who were admitted to an emergency department (ED) at 1 of 12 clinical sites in Japan, were enrolled and underwent 2D-STE at ED. Left ventricular (LV) transverse strain values at aortic valve closure (A) and one-third of diastole duration (B) were measured. The strain imaging diastolic index (SI-DI) was value was determined as: (A − B)/A × 100% to assess the LV diastolic strain imaging and was used to identify the regional LV delayed relaxation. All patients underwent coronary CT or coronary angiography to establish the diagnosis of ACS. Clinicians were blinded to the 2D-STE results. Results Out of 385 patients, 2D-STE analysis was possible in 365 patients (94%). 76 patients were diabetic (DM+), and 289 patients were non-diabetic (DM-). With assessment of coronary CT or coronary angiography, ACS was diagnosed in 125 patients (34%). 2D-STE was obtained at a mean of 5.3 hours after chest pain episode. Transverse SI-DI of ischemic segments were significantly lower than those of non-ischemic segments (p value &amp;lt;0.001) in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients, and transverse SI-DI of both diabetic and non-diabetic patients demonstrated high area under curve (AUC) for detection of myocardial ischemia (Figure: RCA; right coronary artery, LAD; left anterior descending artery, LCX; left circumferencial artery). In diabetic patients, sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value for ACS of transverse SI-DI are 100%, 95%, 100% in RCA (a cut-off value of 36.2), and 86.4%, 95%, 93% in LAD (a cut-off value of 50.2), and 75%, 85%, 94% in LCX (a cut-off value of 52), respectively. Conclusion LV diastolic transverse strain imaging by 2D-STE at ED increase the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to predict the presence of ACS in diabetic patients with chest pain, as well as non-diabetic patients. (UMIN000013859). Figure 1. Transverse Strain (SI-DI): AUC (95% CI) Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

1225 Diagnostic accuracy of left ventricular diastolic strain imaging by speckle tracking echocardiography in detecting ischemic etiology of acute chest pain

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements none OnBehalf A TRAC-SI Multicenter Trial Background Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) has been reported to be useful for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia by detecting delay in regional myocardial expansion (diastolic stunning) up to many hours after an episode of angina. The aim is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Left ventricular (LV) diastolic longitudinal, circumferential, transverse and radial strain imaging by STE to detect the presence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with acute chest pain. Methods 388 consecutive patients with acute chest pain and without wall motion abnormality, who were admitted to an emergency department (ED) at 1 of 12 clinical sites in Japan, were enrolled and underwent 2D-STE at ED. Left ventricular (LV) longitudinal, circumferential, transverse and radial strain values at aortic valve closure (A) and one-third of diastole duration (B) were measured. The strain imaging diastolic index (SI-DI) was value was determined as: (A-B)/A × 100% to assess the LV diastolic strain imaging and was used to identify the regional LV delayed relaxation. All patients underwent coronary CT or coronary angiography to establish the diagnosis of ACS. Clinicians were blinded to the 2D-STE results. Results Out of 388 patients, 2D-STE analysis was possible in 358 patients (92%). With assessment of coronary CT or coronary angiography, ACS was diagnosed in 118 patients (33%). 2D-STE was obtained at a mean of 5.3 hours after chest pain episode. SI-DI of longitudinal, circumferential, transverse and radial strain of ischemic segments were significantly lower than those of non-ischemic segments (p value &amp;lt; 0.001), and transverse and radial SI-DI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy, compared with longitudinal SI-DI (Figure 1). Sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value for ACS of transverse SI-DI are 87%, 88%, % and 95%, respectively, using a cut-off value of 63.3. Conclusion LV diastolic strain imaging by 2D-STE at ED increase the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to predict the presence of ACS in patients with chest pain. Compared with longitudinal diastolic strain imaging, transverse diastolic strain imaging is more sensitive marker to detect the myocardial ischemic episode (UMIN000013859). Abstract 1225 Figure 1

Diagnostic Accuracy of a High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assay with a Single Serum Test in the Emergency Department.

We sought to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the emergency department (ED). The assay has high precision at low concentrations and can detect cTnI in 96.8% of healthy individuals. In successive prospective multicenter studies ("testing" and "validation"), we included ED patients with suspected ACS. We drew blood for hs-cTnI [Singulex Clarity® cTnI; 99th percentile, 8.67 ng/L; limit of detection (LoD), 0.08 ng/L] on arrival. Patients also underwent hs-cTnT (Roche Elecsys) testing over ≥3 h. The primary outcome was an adjudicated diagnosis of ACS, defined as acute myocardial infarction (AMI; prevalent or incident), death, or revascularization within 30 days. The testing and validation studies included 665 and 2470 patients, respectively, of which 94 (14.1%) and 565 (22.9%) had ACS. At a 1.5-ng/L cutoff, hs-cTnI had good sensitivity for AMI in both studies (98.7% and 98.1%, respectively) and would have "ruled out" 40.1% and 48.9% patients. However, sensitivity was lower for ACS (95.7% and 90.6%, respectively). At a 0.8-ng/L cutoff, sensitivity for ACS was higher (97.5% and 97.9%, ruling out 28.6% patients in each cohort). The hs-cTnT assay had similar performance at the LoD (24.6% ruled out; 97.2% sensitivity for ACS). The hs-cTnI assay could immediately rule out AMI in 40% of patients and ACS in >25%, with similar accuracy to hs-cTnT at the LoD. Because of its high precision at low concentrations, this hs-cTnI assay has favorable characteristics for this clinical application.

Diagnostic Accuracy of a New High-Sensitivity Troponin I Assay and Five Accelerated Diagnostic Pathways for Ruling Out Acute Myocardial Infarction and Acute Coronary Syndrome

This diagnostic accuracy study describes the performance of 5 accelerated chest pain pathways, calculated with the new Beckman's Access high-sensitivity troponin I assay. High-sensitivity troponin I was measured with presentation and 2-hour blood samples in 1,811 patients who presented to an emergency department (ED) in Australia. Patients were classified as being at low risk according to 5 rules: modified accelerated diagnostic protocol to assess patients with chest pain symptoms using troponin as the only biomarker (m-ADAPT), the Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS) pathway, the History, ECG, Age, Risk Factors, and Troponin (HEART) pathway, the No Objective Testing Rule, and the new Vancouver Chest Pain Rule. Endpoints were 30-day acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome. Measures of diagnostic accuracy for each rule were calculated. Data included 96 patients (5.3%) with acute myocardial infarction and 139 (7.7%) with acute coronary syndrome. The new Vancouver Chest Pain Rule and No Objective Testing Rule had high sensitivity for acute myocardial infarction (100%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 96.2% to 100% for both) and acute coronary syndrome (98.6% [95% CI 94.9% to 99.8%] and 99.3% [95% CI 96.1% to 100%]). The m-ADAPT, EDACS, and HEART pathways also yielded high sensitivity for acute myocardial infarction (96.9% [95% CI 91.1% to 99.4%] for m-ADAPT and 97.9% [95% CI 92.7% to 99.7%] for EDACS and HEART), but lower sensitivity for acute coronary syndrome (≤95.0% for all). The m-ADAPT, EDACS, and HEART rules classified more patients as being at low risk (64.3%, 62.5%, and 49.8%, respectively) than the new Vancouver Chest Pain Rule and No Objective Testing Rule (28.2% and 34.5%, respectively). In this cohort with a low prevalence of acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome, using the Beckman's Access high-sensitivity troponin I assay with the new Vancouver Chest Pain Rule or No Objective Testing Rule enabled approximately one third of patients to be safely discharged after 2-hour risk stratification with no further testing. The EDACS, m-ADAPT, or HEART pathway enabled half of ED patients to be rapidly referred for objective testing.

BET 1: Can the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes and Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes decision aids rule out acute coronary syndromes in the emergency department?

A short-cut review was carried out to establish whether the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) and Troponin-only MACS (T-MACS) decision aids can safely rule out acute coronary syndromes in patients...

Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (T-MACS) decision aid: single biomarker re-derivation and external validation in three cohorts

BackgroundThe original Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes model (MACS) ‘rules in’ and ‘rules out’ acute coronary syndromes (ACS) using high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and heart-type fatty acid binding protein...

Predictive role of high sensitivity troponin T within four hours from presentation of acute coronary syndrome in elderly patients.

BackgroundPrevious studies indicate that the introduction of high-sensitivity troponin T (HsTnT) as a diagnostic tool for chest pain patients in the emergency department (ED) creates a high rate of false-positive tests. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate if the diagnostic performance of HsTnT for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) up to 3–4 h after presentation in elderly patients can be improved.MethodsA total of 477 consecutive patients ≥ 75 years, admitted to in-hospital care for chest pain suspicious of ACS, were retrospectively included. HsTnT values at presentation (0 h) and at 3–4 h were analysed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created for absolute and relative changes from 0 to 3–4 h. ACS, non-elective percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting and death of all causes were recorded for all patients during a follow-up of 60 days. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) were analysed for different HsTnT cut-off values at 0 and 3–4 h and for the combination of a HsTnT at presentation and an absolute change from 0 to 3–4 h.ResultsTwenty-seven percent of the patients had ACS and 21 % acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the hospital stay. The standard cut-off 14 ng/L gave sensitivity and NPV for ACS of 88 and 90 % at 3–4 h. Specificity and PPV was 38 and 32 % respectively. Analysing for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) alone gave a sensitivity and NPV of 100 % but did not improve specificity and PPV. The area under the ROC-curve was larger for absolute than relative HsTnT changes from 0 to 3–4 h. A combination of HsTnT at presentation > 30 ng/L and/or a change > 5 ng/L up to 3–4 h gave a 63 % specificity and a PPV of 46 %, a 99 % sensitivity and a NPV of 99 % for NSTEMI.ConclusionOur study indicates that HsTnT can neither exclude nor confirm ACS within 3–4 h from presentation in patients ≥ 75 years. NSTEMI can be excluded with HsTnT within 3–4 h, but HsTnT cannot be used to rule in NSTEMI during the first 3–4 h, not even by using a combination of the initial HsTnT result and the change from 0 to 3–4 h. With combined criteria, the majority of the positive tests were still false positive. Our results indicate that in patients > 75 years, HsTnT should be used primarily as an early rule-out tool for AMI.

Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) in patients in an emergency department setting, suspected of acute coronary syndrome: Optimal cut-off point, diagnostic value and future opportunities in primary care

Background: Most patients presenting chest complaints in primary care are referred to secondary care facilities, whereas only a few are diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Objective: The aim is to determine the optimal cut-off value for a point-of-care heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) test in patients presenting to the emergency department and to evaluate a possible future role of H-FABP in safely ruling out ACS in primary care.Methods: Serial plasma H-FABP (index test) and high sensitivity troponin T (hs-cTnT) (reference test) were determined in patients with any new-onset chest complaint. In a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the optimal cut-off value of H-FABP for ACS was determined. Predictive values of H-FABP for ACS were calculated.Results: For 202 consecutive patients (prevalence ACS 59%), the ROC curve based on the results of the first H-FABP was equal to the ROC curve of hs-cTnT (AUC 0.79 versus 0.80). Using a cut-off value of 4.0 ng/ml for H-FABP, sensitivity for ACS of the H-FABP (hs-cTnT) tests was 73.9% (70.6%). Negative predictive value (NPV) of H-FABP for ACS in a population representative for primary care (incidence of ACS 22%) thus could reach 90.8%.Conclusion: In patients presenting chest pain, plasma H-FABP reaches the highest diagnostic value when a cut-off value of 4 ng/ml is used. Diagnostic values of an algorithm combining point-of-care H-FABP measurement and a score of signs and symptoms should be studied in primary care, to learn if such an algorithm could safely reduce referral rate by GPs.

Sensitive troponin assays in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome: Results from the multicenter rule out myocardial infarction using computer assisted tomography II trial

Sensitive troponin (Tn) assays have been developed for the evaluation of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We sought to compare the performance of a commercially available sensitive Tn I (sTnI) and precommercial highly sTnI (hsTnI) method to conventional Tn (cTn) assays. Among patients with acute chest pain but normal cTn in the emergency department of 6 centers, sTnI and hsTnI were measured at baseline, 2 and 4 hours after presentation. Diagnostic accuracy of sTnI and hsTnI relative to cTn for diagnosis during index hospitalization as well as their associations with coronary artery disease in patients randomized to coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) was assessed. Overall, 322 patients were enrolled, of whom 161 had a CTA; 28 had ACS (8.7%), including 21 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). Both sTnI and hsTnI values at baseline and second draw had significantly higher sensitivity for ACS and UAP than cTn and had significantly greater area under the receiver operator characteristic curve than cTn at first and second draws. Compared with cTn, 29% of ACS cases previously categorized as UAP were reclassified to acute myocardial infarction with sTnI or hsTnI. An hsTnI below limit of detection had 100% negative predictive value for ACS or significant coronary artery stenosis in those randomized to CTA. In patients with acute chest discomfort, use of sTnI and hsTnI methods led to significant improvement in the early diagnostic accuracy for ACS, reclassifying one-third of UAP to myocardial infarction. Very low values for hsTnI excluded underlying coronary artery disease.

Combining presentation high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and glucose measurements to rule-out an acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting to emergency department with chest pain

Background and aimsThe use of high sensitivity troponin (hs-Tn) may enable early rule out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain. This study evaluated two approaches to the early rule out of AMI; a combination of a presentation hs-Tn <4ng/L and normal glucose at presentation (dual testing) and a presentation hs-Tn troponin below the limit of detection (LoD). MethodsWe utilised prospectively collected data on adult patients presenting with suspected ACS in two EDs in Australia and New Zealand. Blood samples were taken on presentation and tested for glucose and high sensitivity troponin I. The primary endpoint was index AMI and the secondary endpoint was 30-day acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the dual testing and LoD approaches. ResultsOf the 1412 participants, 182 (12.9%) had index AMI. The LoD and the dual testing approach were 100% sensitive for index AMI. The specificity of the dual testing approach (25.2%) was slightly higher than that of the LoD (20.4%). Sensitivity for ACS was similar for the two approaches (96.5% for dual testing and 98.1% for the LoD). ConclusionsThe dual testing and LoD approach identified all patients with index AMI and could be used to reduce the proportion of patients requiring lengthy assessment and inpatient admission. Further investigation is still required to rule out unstable angina pectoris in patients identified as low risk.

High-sensitivity troponin T as a diagnostic tool for acute coronary syndrome in the real world

The 2011 European Society of Cardiology guidelines state that acute coronary syndrome (ACS) may be excluded with a rapid 3 h high-sensitivity troponin T (HsTnT) sampling protocol. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of HsTnT in patients with chest pain admitted with possible ACS in routine care. A total of 773 consecutive patients admitted for in-hospital care for chest pain suspicious of ACS were included retrospectively. HsTnT values at admission and at 3-4 and 6-7 h were analysed for diagnostic performance. In addition, prognostic performance towards a combined 60-day endpoint of ACS, nonelective revascularization or death of all causes was studied. Twenty-three per cent of the patients had ACS during the hospital stay and 1.6% had an endpoint after discharge but within 60 days. The sensitivity of HsTnT for ACS at admission, 3-4 and 6-7 h was only 68, 79 and 81%, respectively. Sensitivity and negative predictive value for acute myocardial infarction alone were 80 and 93% on admission and 97 and 99% at 3-4 h. Among patients aged 75 years and older, 63% had a positive HsTnT on admission, but only 39% of these had an ACS during hospital stay. Our data confirm that prolonged testing with HsTnT after 3-4 h does not improve diagnostic performance for ACS. However, although sensitivity for acute myocardial infarction was very good, sensitivity for ACS was insufficient to rule out ACS even at 6-7 h. Less than half of all recorded positive HsTnT were true positives. On the basis of these results, we find it unlikely that HsTnT has improved the diagnosis of ACS in the emergency care setting.

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical outcomes of ECG-gated, whole chest CT in the emergency department.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy and one year prognosis of whole chest, “multiple rule out” CT for coronary artery disease (CAD) in Emergency Department patients.Methods and FindingsOne hundred and two Emergency Department patients at low to intermediate risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), pulmonary embolism and/or acute aortic syndrome underwent a research 64 channel ECG-gated, whole chest CT and a standard of care evaluation. Patients were classified with obstructive CAD with either a coronary CT stenosis greater than 50% or a non-evaluable coronary segment. SOC and 3 month follow up data were used to determine an adjudicated clinical diagnosis. The diagnostic ability of obstructive CAD on CT to identify clinical diagnoses was determined. Patients were followed up for 1 year for cardiac events. Seven (7%) patients were diagnosed with ACS. CT sensitivity to detect obstructive CAD in ACS patients was 100% (95% CI 65%, 100%), negative predictive value 100% (96%, 100%), specificity 88% (80%, 94%), and positive predictive value 39% (17%, 64%). Pulmonary embolism and acute aortic syndrome were not identified in any patients. No cardiac events occurred in patients without obstructive CAD over 1 year.ConclusionsWhole chest CT has high sensitivity and negative predictive value for ACS with excellent one year prognosis in patients without obstructive CAD on CT. The frequency of pulmonary embolism or acute aortic syndrome and the higher radiation dose suggest whole chest CT should be limited to select patients.ClinicalTrials.org #: NCT00855231

Identifying patients for early discharge: Performance of decision rules among patients with acute chest pain

The HEART score and North American Chest Pain Rule (NACPR) are decision rules designed to identify acute chest pain patients for early discharge without stress testing or cardiac imaging. This study compares the clinical utility of these decision rules combined with serial troponin determinations. A secondary analysis was conducted of 1005 participants in the Myeloperoxidase In the Diagnosis of Acute coronary syndromes Study (MIDAS). MIDAS is a prospective observational cohort of Emergency Department (ED) patients enrolled from 18 US sites with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The ability to identify participants for early discharge and the sensitivity for ACS at 30 days were compared among an unstructured assessment, NACPR, and HEART score, each combined with troponin measures at 0 and 3h. ACS, defined as cardiac death, acute myocardial infarction, or unstable angina, occurred in 22% of the cohort. The unstructured assessment identified 13.5% (95% CI 11.5-16%) of participants for early discharge with 98% (95% CI 95-99%) sensitivity for ACS. The NACPR identified 4.4% (95% CI 3-6%) for early discharge with 100% (95% CI 98-100%) sensitivity for ACS. The HEART score identified 20% (95% CI 18-23%) for early discharge with 99% (95% CI 97-100%) sensitivity for ACS. The HEART score had a net reclassification improvement of 10% (95% CI 8-12%) versus unstructured assessment and 19% (95% CI 17-21%) versus NACPR. The HEART score with 0 and 3 hour serial troponin measures identifies a substantial number of patients for early discharge while maintaining high sensitivity for ACS.

Multi-marker strategy of natriuretic peptide with either conventional or high-sensitivity troponin-T for acute coronary syndrome diagnosis in emergency department patients with chest pain: From the “Rule Out Myocardial Infarction Using Computer Assisted Tomography” (ROMICAT) trial

Compared to troponin alone, a dual-marker strategy with natriuretic peptides may improve acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnosis with a single blood draw and provide physiologic information regarding underlying heart disease. We evaluate the value of adding natriuretic peptides (myocyte stress markers) to troponins (myocardial injury markers) for diagnosing ACS in emergency department patients with chest pain. In 328 patients (53 ± 12 years, 63% men) with an initially negative conventional troponin and nonischemic electrocardiogram who underwent 64-slice cardiac computed tomography (CT), we measured conventional troponin-T (cTnT), high-sensitivity troponin-T (hsTnT), N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide, and mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide. ACS was defined as myocardial infarction or unstable angina. CT was evaluated for coronary plaque, stenosis, and regional wall motion abnormality. Patients with ACS (n = 29, 9%) had higher concentrations of each biomarker compared to those without (allP<.01). Adding natriuretic peptides, especially N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide, to both cTnT or hsTnT improved the C-statistics and net reclassification index for ACS, largely driven by correctly reclassifying events. Dual-negative marker results improved sensitivity (cTnT 38% to 83%-86%, hsTnT 59% to 86%-90%; all P < .01) and negative predictive value (cTnT 94% to 97%-98%, hsTnT 96% to 97%-98%) for ACS. Patients with dual-negative markers had the lowest percentage of CT coronary plaque, stenosis, and regional wall motion abnormality (all P-trend <.001). Among emergency department patients with low-intermediate likelihood of ACS, combining natriuretic peptides with either conventional or highly-sensitive troponin improved discriminatory capacity and allowed for better reclassification of ACS, findings supported by structural and functional CT results.

A New Improved Accelerated Diagnostic Protocol Safely Identifies Low‐risk Patients With Chest Pain in the Emergency Department

To assess whether the accelerated diagnostic protocol (ADP) studied in the Asia Pacific Evaluation of Chest Pain Trial (ASPECT) could be optimized to effectively risk stratify patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and allow early discharge of very-low-risk patients. Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain were prospectively enrolled between November 2007 and April 2010. Blood samples were analyzed at 0 and 2 hours postpresentation with a point-of-care multimarker panel (POC-MMP; troponin I [TnI], creatine kinase myocardial band [CKMB] isoenzyme fraction, and myoglobin) and a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T assay (hsTnT). Patients received standard care. The original ADP (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] risk score = 0, no ischemic electrocardiogram [ECG] changes, and the multimarker panel negative) was compared with an ADP using the point of care TnI only, hsTnT only, or TIMI risk score = 0 to 1. Primary outcome was ACS within 30 days. Of the 1,000 patients recruited, 362 (36.2%) had ACS. There were 12.3% identified as low risk by the original ADP with a sensitivity for ACS of 99.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 97.5% to 99.8%). The ADP with the point of care TnI only or hsTnT had the same sensitivity, but identified more patients for discharge (15.0% vs. 12.3%). Including patients with a TIMI risk score of 1 identified more patients as low risk (19.7%), but with a lower sensitivity (97.0% vs. 99.2%). An ADP consisting of a TIMI risk score of 0, no new ECG changes, and negative troponin at 0 and 2 hours postpresentation safely identifies patients at low risk of ACS, in whom discharge without further evaluation can be considered.

High-Sensitivity Troponin T Concentrations in Acute Chest Pain Patients Evaluated With Cardiac Computed Tomography

For evaluation of patients with chest pain and suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), consensus guidelines recommend use of a cardiac troponin cut point that corresponds to the 99 th percentile of a healthy population. Most conventional troponin methods lack sufficient precision at this low level. In a cross-sectional study, 377 patients (mean age 53.7 years, 64.2% male) with chest pain and low to intermediate likelihood for ACS were enrolled in the emergency department. Blood was tested with a precommercial high-sensitivity troponin T assay (hsTnT) and compared with a conventional cardiac troponin T method. Patients underwent a 64-slice coronary computed tomography coronary angiogram at the time of phlebotomy, on average 4 hours from initial presentation. Among patients with acute chest pain, 37 (9.8%) had an ACS. Using the 99th percentile cut point for a healthy population (13 pg/mL), hsTnT had 62% sensitivity, 89% specificity, 38% positive predictive value, and 96% negative predictive value for ACS. Compared with the cardiac troponin T method, hsTnT detected 27% more ACS cases (P=.001), and an hsTnT above the 99 th percentile strongly predicted ACS (odds ratio 9.0, 95% confidence interval 3.9 to 20.9, P<0.001). Independent of ACS diagnosis, computed tomography angiography demonstrated that concentrations of hsTnT were determined by numerous factors, including the presence and severity of coronary artery disease, left ventricular mass, left ventricular ejection fraction, and regional left ventricular dysfunction. Among low- to intermediate-risk patients with chest pain, hsTnT provides good sensitivity and specificity for ACS. Elevation of hsTnT identifies patients with myocardial injury and significant structural heart disease, irrespective of the diagnosis of ACS.

What is the Value of CT Angiography for Patients with Acute Chest Pain?

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is an innovative technique to visualize the coronary arteries in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. CCTA has been validated in patients with non acute symptoms. Because of its high negative predictive value in this population, some have advocated using it in patients admitted to the emergency department with chest pain to determine the presence of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). With current CCTA protocols, adequate evaluation of the coronary arteries is feasible using radiation doses similar to, and even lower than, those for single-photon emission CT, which is commonly used to stratify these patients. In addition to its unique capability of visualizing the coronary tree in a noninvasive fashion, CCTA evaluates extracardiac pathologic conditions, which are part of the differential diagnosis in patients with chest pain, such as pulmonary embolism and acute aortic syndrome. These conditions, although less common than ACS, are also life threatening and their timely diagnosis and treatment may have a positive impact on survival. Other less frequent conditions, such as coronary artery anomalies, also are easily detected with CCTA. Overall, CCTA has an excellent negative predictive value and sensitivity for ACS in patients presenting with chest pain and simultaneously can aid in the diagnoses of other relevant intrathoracic abnormalities.