Point-of-Care Cardiac Troponin Testing Process Improvements for Detection of Acute Myocardial Infarction

The implementation of point-of-care cardiac troponin (cTn) testing in our emergency medicine and cardiac short-stay unit services has improved patient flow through improved triage decision processes and rapid cTn turnaround times, all without impacting clinical sensitivity and specificity for the detection of acute myocardial infarction. The study examines the changing environment at a metropolitan medical center through educational and administrative processes involving point-of-care cTn testing by both laboratory and nonlaboratory personnel, resulting in improved outcomes for both patients and laboratory services.