Myoglobin for early risk stratification of emergency department patients with possible myocardial ischemia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine and compare the prognostic abilities of early, single-sample myoglobin measurement with that of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), with cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and with physician judgment in the absence of marker results among emergency department (ED) patients with possible myocardial ischemia.


METHODS
Prospective collection of clinical and serologic data using an identity-unlinked technique from patients with possible myocardial ischemia at two urban EDs. Outcome data concerning the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) during the 14 days after enrollment were used to calculate and compare the relative risks (RRs) and predictive values (with 95% confidence intervals) of the various markers for predicting AEs.


RESULTS
Among 396 analyzed patients, 65 (16.4%) accrued 104 AEs, including 13 deaths (3.3%) and 31 (7.8%) myocardial infarctions. Myoglobin predicted AEs (RR = 3.36 [95% CI = 2.19 to 5.15]) with significantly higher sensitivity (50.8% [95% CI = 38.6 to 62.9]) than either CK-MB (15.4% [95% CI = 6.6 to 24.2]) or cTnT (24.6% [95% CI = 14.1 to 35.1]), but with lower specificity (81.9% [95% CI = 77.7 to 86.0]; CK-MB = 99.7% [95% CI = 99.1 to 100]; cTnT = 93.1% [95% CI = 90.3 to 95.8]). Myoglobin had prognostic ability among patients with chest pain (3.86 [95% CI = 2.39 to 6.22]) and atypical (non-chest pain) presentations (2.71 [95% CI = 1.09 to 6.71]), including those with a nondiagnostic electrocardiogram (3.11 [95% CI = 1.44 to 6.69]). The combination of myoglobin and physician decision making identified 63 of the 65 patients (96.9% [95% CI = 92.7 to 100]) with subsequent AEs.


CONCLUSIONS
The early prognostic sensitivity of myoglobin may allow identification of some high-risk patients missed by physician judgment, CK-MB, and cTnT. Myoglobin should be considered for use in the ED based on both its diagnostic and prognostic abilities.
Green
G B
GB
Department of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287-2080, USA. ggreen@jhmi.edu
Skarbek-Borowski
G W
GW
Chan
D W
DW
Kelen
G D
GD
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D009211:Myoglobin; D020107:Troponin T; D003402:Creatine Kinase