Is high-sensitivity troponin, alone or in combination with copeptin, sensitive enough for ruling out NSTEMI in very early presenters at admission? A post hoc analysis performed in emergency departments

Objectives: Copeptin and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (HS-cTn) assays improve the early detection of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Their sensitivities may, however, be reduced in very early presenters.Setting: We performed a post hoc analysis of three prospective studies that included patients who presented to the emergency department for chest pain onset (CPO) of less than 6 hours.Participants: 449 patients were included, in whom 12% had NSTEMI. CPO occurred 4 hours in 146 patients. The prevalence of NSTEMI was similar in all groups (9%, 13% and 12%, respectively, p=0.281).Measures: Diagnostic performances of HS-cTn and copeptin at presentation were examined…