Laboratory medicine as the science that underpins medicine: the "high-sensitivity" troponin paradigm

The availability of so-called high-sensitivity troponin assays (hsTn) has scored a compelling goal for laboratory medicine, allowing the safe clinical application of international recommendations for the definition of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the introduction of hsTn has not been welcomed by clinicians, claiming an increase in false-positive results. Here we critically trace back the steps following the introduction of hsTn by referring to the 5-year practical experience in our academic hospital and to suitable information available in the literature. In agreement with published data, we found that hsTn introduction was associated with an increased number of AMI diagnoses, whereas the test volume, the revascularization rate, and the proportion of cases with negative angiography findings remained virtually unchanged. Fast-track protocols for ruling out AMI have been further optimized to recommend sampling at presentation and after 3 h only. We focus on a cost-effective use of hsTn that can account for all clinical variables increasing the pre-test probability in order to ensure that tests are ordered only for patients at medium to high risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). To guide interpretation of results, hsTn typical release patterns suggestive for AMI should be identified by evaluating the significance of concentration changes. hsTn have markedly shortened the time to rule out or rule in AMI and has the potential to improve the prognostic assessment of critical patients in clinical contexts different from ACS.