The Journal of family practice
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Meta Analysis
A systematic review of troponin T and I values as a prognostic tool for patients with chest pain.
The accuracy of the troponin T and I test as a prognostic tool for patients with chest pain varies considerably depending on the patient population, the cutoff for an abnormal test result, and other factors. The goal of our systematic review was to synthesize the best available evidence on this topic. ⋯ If the peak troponin T or I level measured at least 6 hours after the onset of chest pain symptoms is in the normal range in a patient with a normal electrocardiogram, it is very unlikely that the patient will die or have a nonfatal MI in the next 30 days (< or =1%). The initial troponin value is not as helpful as the peak value at least 6 hours after the onset of chest pain. An abnormal troponin test result for patients with unstable angina or non-Q-wave MI identifies a subset at greater risk of death.