Hospital laboratory reporting may be a barrier to detection of 'microsize' myocardial infarction in the US: an observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

International guidelines recommend that the decision threshold for troponin should be the 99th percentile of a normal population, or, if the laboratory assay is not sufficiently precise at this low level, the level at which the assay achieves a 10% or better coefficient of variation (CV). Our objectives were to examine US hospital laboratory troponin reports to determine whether either the 99th percentile or the 10% CV level were clearly indicated, and whether nonconcordance with these guidelines was a potential barrier to detecting clinically important microscopic or 'microsize' myocardial infarctions (MIs). To confirm past reports of the clinical importance of microsize MIs, we also contrasted in-hospital, 28-day and 1-year mortality among those with microsize and nonm

SUBMITTER: Safford MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3648433 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature