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Impact of High-intensity Interval Exercise and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise on the Cardiac Troponin T Level at an Early Stage of Training
07:40

Impact of High-intensity Interval Exercise and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise on the Cardiac Troponin T Level at an Early Stage of Training

Published on: October 10, 2019

A multicentre analysis of troponin use in clinical practice

J D Groarke1, L Browne, R Margey

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland. johngroarke1@eircom.net

Irish Journal of Medical Science
|October 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Troponin testing volume increased annually without more emergency department patients, suggesting overuse. This trend incurs significant costs, necessitating improved patient selection and testing protocols, especially with new high-sensitivity assays.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Health Economics
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Troponin quantification is vital for diagnosing acute coronary syndrome but presents cost challenges.
  • Advancements in high-sensitivity troponin and multi-marker assays introduce further resource considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze recent trends in troponin assay usage and associated costs across multiple hospitals.
  • To investigate the relationship between troponin testing volumes and patient presentation rates.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional survey was conducted across six tertiary teaching hospitals.
  • Data on troponin usage and costs were collected for consecutive years from 2003 to 2009.

Main Results:

  • A median annual increase in troponin assay requests (average 6.9%) was observed in all hospitals.
  • This increase was not linked to a rise in emergency department (ED) patient volume for chest pain.
  • A significant portion of troponin assays (91%) in one center yielded normal results, indicating potential overuse.

Conclusions:

  • Rising troponin test requests without increased patient activity suggest potential indiscriminate testing.
  • The costs associated with inappropriate troponin testing are substantial.
  • Strategies are needed to refine patient selection and testing protocols, particularly with emerging high-sensitivity troponin assays.
Abstract

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