[Experiences with cardiac troponin assessments]

After the JESC/ACCC guideline (approved in year 2000), cardiac troponins became the first-line laboratory markers in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Since 2006, there is a hemodynamic laboratory in our Hospital and since July, 2007, there is a so called "one gate" Emergency Unit.

Since the amount of the cardiac troponin assessments has risen, we aimed to analyze the background of this elevation, the results and the cause of the false positivity, as well.

We analyzed our cardiac troponin results assessed in the second half of year 2008.

In this time we have had 2656 cardiac troponin examination in 1787 patients. 280 positive results were examined in 203 patients, but acute coronary syndrome was proved only in 110 patients. The remaining cases were false positive but only for detecting acute coronary syndrome, because many other diseases were proved in the background of these patients, and only one result was really (literally) false positive.

Because of the very low rate of positive results we have to think about restriction of asking that examination. We emphasize that there are many non-acute coronary syndrome diseases with positive cardiac troponin results. This situation needs an urgent and close communication between the clinicians and the laboratory staff.