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. 2022 Jan 15:347:66-72.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.11.013. Epub 2021 Nov 11.

Implementation of more sensitive cardiac troponin T assay in a state-wide health service

Ehsan Khan  1 , Kristina Lambrakis  1 , Sheraz A Nazir  2 , Anthony Chuang  1 , Amera Halabi  1 , Kathryn Tiver  1 , Tom Briffa  3 , Louise A Cullen  4 , Matthew Horsfall  1 , John K French  5 , Benjamin C Sun  6 , Derek P Chew  7
Affiliations

Implementation of more sensitive cardiac troponin T assay in a state-wide health service

Ehsan Khan et al. Int J Cardiol. .

Abstract

Aims: Explore the impact of deploying high-sensitivity (hs) cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assay across a state-wide health service.

Methods and results: Presentations to emergency departments of six tertiary hospitals between January 2008 and August 2019 were included; standard cTnT assay was superseded by hs-cTnT in June 2011 without changing the reference range (≥30 ng/L reported as elevated), despite cTnT level of 30 ng/L being equivalent to ∼44 ng/L with hs-cTnT. Clinical outcomes were captured using state-wide linked health records. Interrupted time series analyses were used adjusted for seasonality and multiple co-morbidities using propensity score matching allowing for correlation within hospitals. In total, 614,847 presentations had ≥1 troponin measurement. Clinical ordering of troponin decreased throughout the study with no increase in elevated measurements amongst those tested with hs-cTnT. Small but statistically significant changes in index myocardial infarction (MI) diagnosis (-0.36%/year, 95%CI [confidence interval]:-0.48, -0.24,p < 0.001) and invasive coronary angiography (0.12%/year,95%CI:0, 0.24,p = 0.02) were seen, with no impact on death/MI at 30 days or 3-year survival in episodes of care (EOCs) with elevated cTnT after hs-cTnT implementation. Length of stay (LOS) was shorter among those with an elevated hs-cTnT (-4.44 h/year, 95%CI:-5.27, -3.60, p < 0.001). Non-elevated cTnT EOCs demonstrated shorter total LOS and improved 3-year survival (adjusted hazard ratio:0.90, 95%CI:0.83, 0.97,p = 0.008) although death/MI at 30 days was unchanged using hs-cTnT.

Conclusion: Widespread implementation of hs-cTnT without altering clinical thresholds reported to clinicians provided significantly shorter LOS without a clinically significant impact on clinical outcomes. A safer cohort with non-elevated cTnT was identified by hs-cTnT compared to the standard cTnT assay.

Keywords: Biomarker; Health services; Myocardial infarction; Population health; Troponin.

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