Last month, I posted a poll asking "Will the new ultra-high-sensitivity troponins be beneficial or detrimental for the cardiologist?"

Surprisingly, of the 151 responses, the most popular was that the new high-sensitivity troponin assays will be beneficial; this was selected by more than 4 out of 10 respondents. This may reflect the substantial number of recent studies demonstrating the ability to rapidly exclude myocardial infarction in patients in the emergency department.

Only 21% of respondents believed that the new high-sensitivity troponin assays will be detrimental. Anecdotally, based on my conversations with other cardiologists, this is what I thought would've been the most common response because I frequently hear complaints about troponin assays.

Perhaps reflecting the combination of the above two views, a little bit more than a third of respondents indicated that the new assays will be both beneficial and detrimental or neither.

The new assays are slowly being implemented in the United States, with one high-sensitivity troponin T available (Roche) and two high-sensitivity troponin I assays (Beckman, Siemens) recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Clearly, more education and studies will be critical in implementing these assays appropriately.

Keywords: Acute Coronary Syndrome, Troponin T, Troponin I, Emergency Service, Hospital, Myocardial Infarction

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