Second-Generation Triage Test

A second-generation Triage Cardio ProfilER panel will include myeloperoxidase (MPO), according to an announcement from Biosite, Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA), which developed the first Triage Cardio ProfilER panel.

Biosite believes the addition of MPO can improve the diagnostic usefulness of the test, which is used to assess chest pain in emergency patients. Currently, the Triage test measures the levels of troponin I, CK-MB (creatine kinase), BNP (brain natriuretic peptide), and myoglobin in blood and is used to aid the diagnosis of heart attack, diagnosis of congestive heart failure, and risk stratification of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Research conducted at the Cleveland Clinic by Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., head of the section of preventive cardiology, showed that an elevated MPO level could signal a person's risk for heart disease or heart attack. Researchers found that among one-quarter of the patients studied with the highest MPO levels, 38.4% has a heart attack within 16 hours, compared to 13.9% of those with MPO levels in the lowest quintile. The highest levels also were associated with much higher rates of death, heart attack, and major heart procedures at both 30 days and six months later.

The diagnosis of ACS by conventional assessment in an emergency department has been a source of uncertainty and error. Almost two-thirds of patients with chest pain are admitted, but only 13-15% are ultimately diagnosed with heart attack. At the same time, traditional assessment resulted in a high rate of "missed” heart attacks.

"Adding MPO to the Triage Cardio ProfilER panel would represent another step forward toward better chest pain evaluation,” observed Kim Blickenstaff, chairman and CEO of Biosite. "We are encouraged by research and ongoing clinical studies that suggest the use of multi-marker panels can significantly improve assessment of chest pain, potentially leading to better patient outcomes and emergency department efficiencies.”




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