title: Use of a quantitative point-of-care test for the detection of serum cardiac troponin T in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes.
abstract: We compared a third generation quantitative cardiac troponin T (cTnT) point-of-care testing (POCT) from Roche Diagnostics with the laboratory assay (Roche Elecsys 2010 immunoassay analyser). Heparin-treated blood and serum were collected simultaneously in 133 unselected patients (mean age 62 +/- 14 years, 38% females) presenting to our hospital with possible cardiac chest pain. Results of the POCT were measured against the laboratory-based assay considered as the gold standard. There were 18 POCT positive versus 24 laboratory assay positive (> or = 0.03 ng/mL) patients. POCT was falsely negative in six patients, with values between 0.03 and 0.1 ng/mL. The POCT had a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 95% and a total accuracy of 95%; kappa = 0.831 (P < 0.001). There was good correlation between the values of POCT and the laboratory assay: Y = 1.195X + 0.002, r2 = 0.94 (P < 0.0001). Whereas cTnT levels > 0.1 mg/mL were reliably detected with this current generation of POCT, cTnT levels between 0.03 and 0.10 ng/mL were not. Future generations of devices will need to improve sensitivity to reliably risk stratify patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. hallanhi@wahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hallani
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Newland
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Juergens
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020107:Troponin T