title: Measurement of high-sensitivity troponin T in noncardiac medical intensive care unit patients. Correlation to mortality and length of stay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the frequency, magnitude, and prognostic significance of elevations in cardiac troponin T in noncardiac critically ill patients, including elevations at levels below the limit of detection of traditional assays.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a high-sensitivity assay, we measured troponin T (high-sensitivity troponin T [hsTnT]) in 451 unique patients within 12 hours of their admission to a noncardiac medical intensive care unit. Outcomes of patients, grouped by hsTnT level, were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 98% of the study patients had detectable levels of hsTnT (>3 ng/L), and 33% had levels above the diagnostic cutoff of a traditional fourth-generation cardiac troponin T assay. Patient groups with higher hsTnT levels had markedly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (P < .001) and longer stays in the hospital and intensive care unit (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In noncardiac critically ill patients, cardiac troponin T elevations are common but often at levels undetectable by traditional assays. hsTnT elevations predict a more complex clinical course and an increased risk of death.
authors.affiliation: Bigelow Building, Room 504, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114; klewandrowski@partners.org.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Lewandrowski
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Januzzi
authors.forename: Ednan K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Bajwa
authors.forename: B Taylor
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Kent B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lewandrowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D020107:Troponin T
keywords: Medical intensive care unit; Troponin; hsTnT