Troponin Testing and Coronary Syndrome in Geriatric Patients With Nonspecific Complaints : Are We Overtesting?

© 2019 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine..

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with nonspecific complaints (NSCs) often undergo troponin testing to assess for atypical acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the rate of ACS and utility of troponin testing in this population is unknown. We sought to determine the rate of ACS and diagnostic yield of troponin testing in elderly patients with NSCs.

METHODS: We retrospectively identified all patients aged ≥ 65 years triaged in the ED with NSCs from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2017. NSCs were defined a priori and included complaints such as weakness, dizziness, or fatigue. NSCs were verified in ED provider notes by trained abstractors blind to testing results. Exclusions were focal chief complaint in provider notes, fever, and no troponin ordered. ACS was strictly defined and independently adjudicated by two trained physician researchers blind to the study hypothesis. We calculated the proportion of patients with ACS within 30 days and the test characteristics of troponin to diagnose ACS.

RESULTS: Screening identified 1,146 encounters, and 552 were excluded for fever or focal chief complaints in the provider notes. Of the remaining 594 patients, troponin was ordered in 412 (69%), comprising the study cohort. The mean (±SD) age was 78.7 (±8.3) years, with 58% female and 75% admitted. Troponin elevation occurred in 81 patients (20%). ACS occurred in 5 of 412 (1.2%). Troponin was 100% sensitive (95% confidence interval [CI] = 48% to 100%) and 81% specific (95% CI = 77% to 85%) for ACS. Of patients with elevated troponin, 93.8% were false positives (no ACS). All patients with troponin elevation were admitted, but only one underwent angiography and no patients received reperfusion therapy.

CONCLUSIONS: While consideration for ACS is prudent in selected elderly patients with NSCs, ACS was rare and no patients received reperfusion therapy. Given the false-positive rate in our study, our results may not support routine troponin testing for ACS in this population.

Errataetall:

CommentIn: Acad Emerg Med. 2020 Jul;27(7):646-647. - PMID 32329954

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:27

Enthalten in:

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine - 27(2020), 1 vom: 01. Jan., Seite 6-14

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Wang, Alfred Z [VerfasserIn]
Schaffer, Jason T [VerfasserIn]
Holt, Daniel B [VerfasserIn]
Morgan, Keaton L [VerfasserIn]
Hunter, Benton R [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Biomarkers
Journal Article
Troponin

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 31.08.2020

Date Revised 31.08.2020

published: Print-Electronic

CommentIn: Acad Emerg Med. 2020 Jul;27(7):646-647. - PMID 32329954

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/acem.13766

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM304548499