Bottom Line: A new, quick and accurate, bedside blood test done in an emergency department could help reduce the time it takes to rule out heart attacks. A preliminary study suggests a 15-minute blood test in the emergency department to measure a protein in the blood (cardiac troponin) may have similar ability to rule out a heart attack as blood tests that take longer to be measured in a laboratory. The analysis in this observational study at a single regional emergency department included about 350 patients with symptoms of a heart attack. Confirmation in larger studies is needed.
Authors: Martin P. Than, M.B.B.S., Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, and coauthors
To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2018.3368)
Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
###
Want to embed a link to this study in your story? Link will be live at the embargo time http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamacardio.2018.3368
Journal
JAMA Cardiology