“Until now there were no quick ways to rule out heart attack within the emergency department”, lead author Anoop Shah from the University of Edinburgh said in a statement.
Advertisement
The test used in this study is more sensitive than the standard version and can detect far lower levels of troponin in the blood.
All that really matters, as per the scientists, is that sensible utilization of this blood test-known as heart troponin I-could help to securely release more patients who might ordinarily be conceded for broad cardiovascular assessments, at last prompting noteworthy expense funds in the UK.
They found that people with troponin concentrations less than 5 nanograms per litre are very unlikely to have had a heart attack, and are at very low risk of having a heart attack in the next 30 days.
Afterwards, instead of staying overnight as many patients now do, people could be immediately discharged – helping patients’ mental wellbeing and saving money. The test measures troponin, a protein released from the heart during a heart attack.
When patients complain of chest pain, doctors make a diagnosis of myocardial infarction (heart attack) based on evidence of heart muscle damage.
“This research has highlighted a quick way to rule out a heart attack in A&E”.
When levels of troponin are unusually high or if a series of tests performed over several hours show elevated levels, doctors take this as proof that a patient has had a heart attack or a few other cardiac event.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said: “A faster, more accurate diagnosis of whether chest pain is caused by a heart attack would be better for patients and save the NHS money”. Here is a detailed information on common risk factors of a heart attack.
Advertisement
“We want to ensure no heart attack diagnosis is missed but we equally don’t want to see people go through unnecessary tests and spend extended periods in hospital unless it is essential”. He believes that the new test can bring benefits without compromising safety. This will impact on how the majority of patients presenting with chest pain are managed in emergency departments, and will influence future health care service provision and patient care.
