Prediction of myocardial infarction risk in older patients with acute coronary syndrome

The low accuracy of the non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction electrocardiograph criteria of the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction

Background:

The electrocardiograph has been integral to the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes since the mid-20th Century and is an important initial investigation that chest pain patients undergo on presentation to the Emergency Department. The Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction recommends using dichotomous cut-offs to identify ischaemic electrocardiographs.

Objectives:

We aimed to summarise the existing knowledge to inform emergency clinicians about the diagnostic accuracy of the new guidelines.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review and a narrative analysis due to the heterogeneity of the studies.

Results:

We were able to obtain diagnostic characteristics for 10 papers. The ST-depression criteria were highly specific but poorly sensitive in five papers, with a specificity of 97.2%–99.3% and a sensitivity of 16.6%–20.0%. The remaining papers reported a higher sensitivity of 25.7%–58.6% but a lower specificity of 86.0%–91.2%. T wave inversion demonstrated poor specificity; the papers that looked at 0.1 mV T wave inversion demonstrated a sensitivity of 26.9%–46.8% and a specificity of 68.6%–86.4%.

Conclusion:

The heterogeneous evidence database demonstrates that the Fourth universal definition’s diagnostic performance varies wildly. Apart from two outlying papers, ST-depression has suboptimal sensitivity but high specificity. T wave inversion appears to be more sensitive yet less specific.

Increased level of high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T in a geriatric population is determined by comorbidities compared to age

High level of cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) in geriatric population has been considered as an age-related phenomenon, which may question the interpretation of the increase of hs-cTnT in this population. The challenge is what is the primary cause of the increased hs-cTnT levels in elderly patients without AMI.

Objective

The aim of the current study was to determine the impact of aging on hs-cTnT levels in elderly patients without acute cardiac events but in the presence of comorbidities.

Methods

Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from 6977 medical records of patients aged ≥65 years without acute coronary events but for whom hs-cTnT measurements were available. The patients were stratified based on age, troponin levels and the number of comorbidities.

Results

The results suggested that the likelihood of increased hs-cTnT was related to the presence of comorbidities independently of their number (p < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for both advanced age and having comorbidity was statistically significant, however for the old group (74 ≥ age ≥ 84 years) the chance of having elevated troponin regarding age compared to the presence of comorbidity was 1.070 vs. 1.216, whereas for the old-old group (≥85 years) it was found to be 1.071 vs. 1.311. Besides statistical significance for age, from a clinical standpoint, the AOR of 1.070 may not be considered clinically relevant.

Conclusion

Increased hs-cTnT levels were associated with the presence of pre-existing comorbidities independently of age. Increased hs-cTnT levels in the elderly should always be considered as pathological, and a specific etiology should be searched.

The challenge of triaging chest pain patients: the bernese university hospital experience

Accurate diagnosis of the causes of chest pain and dyspnea remain challenging. In this preliminary observational study with a 5-year follow-up, we attempted to find a simplified approach to selecting patients with chest pain needing immediate care based on the initial evaluation in ED. During a 24-month period were randomly selected 301 patients and a conditional inference tree (CIT) was used as the basis of the prognostic rule. Common diagnoses were musculoskeletal chest pain (27%), ACS (19%) and panic attack (12%). Using variables of ACS symptoms we estimated the likelihood of ACS based on a CIT to be high at 91% (32), low at 4% (198) and intermediate at 20.5–40% in (71) patients. Coronary catheterization was performed within 24 hours in 91% of the patients with ACS. A culprit lesion was found in 79%. Follow-up (median 4.2 years) information was available for 70% of the patients. Of the 164 patients without ACS who were followed up, 5 were treated with revascularization for stable angina pectoris, 2 were treated with revascularization for myocardial infarction, and 25 died. Although a simple triage decision tree could theoretically help to efficient select patients needing immediate care we need also to be vigilant for those presenting with atypical symptoms.