Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with suspected acute coronary syndromes. Specifically, we evaluated the use of a single blood test at the time of arrival in the ED, using low hs-cTnI cut-offs. METHODS: In a prospective diagnostic test accuracy study at 14 centers, we included patients presenting to the ED with suspected ACS within 12 h of symptom onset. We drew blood for hs-cTnI (Siemens ADVIA Centaur, overall 99th percentile 47 ng/L, limit of quantification [LoQ] 2.50 ng/L) on arrival. Patients underwent serial cardiac troponin testing over 3-6 h. The primary outcome was an adjudicated diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: death, AMI or revascularization) after 30 days. Test characteristics for hs-cTnI were calculated using previously reported cut-offs set at the LoQ and 5 ng/L. RESULTS: We included 999 patients, including 131 (13.1%) with an adjudicated diagnosis of AMI. Compared to the LoQ (100.0% sensitivity [95% CI 95.9-100.0%]), 99.7% negative predictive value [NPV; 95% CI 97.6-100.0%]), a 5 ng/L cut-off had slightly lower sensitivity (99.2%; 95% CI 95.8-100.0%) and similar NPV (99.8%; 95% CI 98.6-100.0%) but would rule out more patients (28.6% at the LoQ vs 50.4% at 5 ng/L). MACE occurred in 2 (0.7%) patients with hs-cTnI below the LoQ and 7 (1.4%) patients with hs-cTnI < 5 ng/L. Accounting for time from symptom onset or ECG ischemia did not further improve sensitivity. CONCLUSION: The Siemens ADVIA Centaur hs-cTnI assay has high sensitivity and NPV to rule out AMI with a single blood test in the ED. At the LoQ cut-off a sensitivity > 99% can be achieved. At a 5 ng/L cut-off it may be possible to rule out AMI for over 50% patients.