Researchers studied patient data from more than 14,000 patients over two years who visited the hospital due to chest pains and tested their high-sensitivity cardiac troponin levels.
The majority of patients, 99.8 percent, who had hs-cTnT levels less than 5 ng/l and no signs of ischemia on an ECG did not experience a heart attack within 30 days of being evaluated. Additionally, the negative predictive value for 30-day mortality was 100 percent.
Researchers concluded patients with “undetectable” hs-cTnT levels and a normal electrocardiogram have minimal risk of heart attack or death within 30 days and can be safely discharged from the emergency department.
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