Test Name: Troponin I, PLASMA
Specimen Type: Whole Blood
Specimen Required: 2-3 Cc Purple Top EDTA Vial
Day Performed: Daily
Reporting Time: 60 MINUTES STAT Reporting Time: 60 MINUTES
Methodology: BECKMAN Coulter Access-II/ Snibe Maglumi 4000
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Troponin I is released into the bloodstream within 2 -3 hours of the onset of symptoms of myocardial infarction or ischemic damage. Even a slight increase in the troponin level will often mean there has been some damage to the heart.
Increased troponin levels may also be due to:
- Abnormally fast heartbeat/tachycardia
- High blood pressure in lung arteries (pulmonary hypertension)
- Blockage of a lung artery by a blood clot, fat, or tumor cells (pulmonary embolism)
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery spasm
- Inflammation of the heart muscle usually due to a virus (myocarditis)
- Prolonged exercise (for example, due to marathons or triathlons)
- Trauma that injures the heart
- Weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
- Long-term kidney disease
Increased troponin levels may also result from certain medical procedures such as:
- Cardiac angioplasty/stenting
- Heart defibrillation or electrical cardioversion (purposeful shocking of the heart by medical personnel to correct an abnormal heart rhythm)
- Open heart surgery
Radiofrequency ablation of the heart
References:
- Bohula EA, Morrow DA. ST-Elevation myocardial infarction: management. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022: chap 38.
- Bonaca MP, Sabatine MS. Approach to the patient with chest pain. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022: chap 35.
- Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, Chaitman BR, Bax JJ; Executive Group on behalf of the Joint European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA)/World Heart Federation (WHF) Task Force for the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (2018). Circulation. 2018;138(20): e618-e651 PMID: 30571511 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30571511/.