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Aims: Despite troponin assay being a part of the diagnostic work up in many conditions with acute chest pain, little is known about its frequency and clinical implications in acute aortic syndromes (AASs). In our study we assessed frequency, impact on diagnostic delay, inappropriate treatments, and prognosis of troponin elevation in AAS.Methods and results: Data were collected from a prospective metropolitan AAS registry (398 patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2013). Cardiac troponin test, using either standard or high sensitivity assay, was performed according to standard protocol used in chest pain units. Troponin T values were available in 248 patients (60%) of the registry population; the overall frequency of troponin positivity was 28% (ranging from 16% to 54%, using standard or high sensitivity assay respectively, p= 0.001). Troponin positivity was frequently associated with acute coronary syndromes (ACS)-like electrocardiogram findings, and with a twofold increased risk of long in-hospital diagnostic time (odds ratio (OR) 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–3.52, p= 0.03). The combination of positive troponin and ACS-like electrocardiogram abnormalities resulted in a significantly increased risk of in-hospital delay/coronary angiography/antithrombotic therapy due to a misdiagnosis of ACS (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.12–5.54, p= 0.02). However, troponin positivity was not associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 1.63, 95% CI 0.86–3.10, p= 0.131).Conclusions: Troponin positivity was a frequent finding in AAS patients, particularly when a high sensitivity assay was employed. Abnormal troponin values were strongly associated with ACS-like electrocardiogram findings and with in-hospital diagnostic delay but apparently they did not influence in-hospital mortality.

Aims: The use of high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay might lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). This study assessed the epidemiological, clinical and prognostic impact of introducing hs-cTnT in the everyday clinical practice of an Emergency Department.Methods and Results: We compared all consecutive patients presenting with suspected ACS at the Emergency Department, for whom troponin levels were measured. In particular, we considered 597 patients presenting during March 2010, when standard cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) assay was used, and 629 patients presenting during March 2011, when hs-cTnT test was used. Patients with suspected ACS and troponin levels above the 99th percentile (Upper Reference Limit, URL) significantly increased when using an hs-cTnT assay (17.2% vs. 37.4%, p< 0.001). Accordingly, also the mean GRACE risk score increased (124.2 ± 37.2 vs. 136.7 ± 32.2; p< 0.001). However, the final diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) did not change significantly (8.7% vs. 6.8%, p=0.263) by using a rising and/or falling pattern of hs-cTnT (change = 50% or = 20% depending on baseline values). In addition, no significant differences were found between the two study groups with respect to in-hospital (2.7% vs. 1.9%, p=0.366) and 1-year mortality (9.8% vs. 7.6%, p=0.216).Conclusions: We did not observe overdiagnosis and overtreatment issues in presenters with suspected ACS managed by appropriate changes in hs-cTnT levels, despite the increase in the number of patients presenting with abnormal troponin levels. This occurred without a rise in short-term and mid-term mortality.

Aims: To evaluate the relationship between ECG patterns and infarct related artery (IRA) in an all-comer population with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and validate current criteria for identifying IRA (right coronary artery (RCA) versus left circumflex artery (LCA)) in inferior STEMI and for diagnosing left main (LM) or left anterior descendent artery occlusion (LAD) in anterior STEMI.Methods and results: We retrospectively analysed ECGs at presentation and coronary angiogram in 885 consecutive patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Six ECG patterns were identified: anterior-STEMI (n=433; 49.0%), inferior-STEMI (i=365; 43.0%), lateral-STEMI (n=43; 5.0%), left bundle branch block (n=26; 3.0%), posterior-STEMI (n=7; 1.0%) and de Winter sign (n=7; 1.0%). The last two ECG patterns were univocally associated with LCA and proximal LAD occlusion respectively. In patients with inferior STEMI, predefined ECG algorithms showed high sensitivity(>90%) for RCA occlusion and high specificity(>90%) for LCA. The diagnostic performance was mainly determined by RCA dominance. In anterior STEMI the vectorial analysis of ST deviation in both frontal and horizontal planes could identify patients with LM/proximal LAD occlusion (adjusted-odds ratio for in-hospital mortality =2.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.31–4.56, p= 0.005) with low sensitivity (maximum 60%; using ST-depression in lead II, III, aVF + SSTE aVR + V1–ST depression V6=0) and high specificity (maximum 95%; using ST-depression in inferior leads + ST-depression in V6).Conclusion: In STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention, six ECG patterns can be identified with a non-univocal relationship to the IRA. In inferior STEMI, vectorial analysis of ST deviation identifies IRA with a high appropriateness only when RCA is the dominant artery. In anterior STEMI, criteria derived from both frontal and horizontal planes identify LM/proximal LAD occlusion with high specificity but low sensitivity.