Cardiac troponin measurement at the point of care: educational recommendations on analytical and clinical aspects by the IFCC Committee on Clinical Applications of Cardiac Bio-Markers (IFCC C-CB)

• Published in: Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine Vol. 61; no. 6; pp. 989 - 998
• Main Authors: Collinson, Paul, Aakre, Kristin M., Saenger, Amy, Body, Rick, Hammarsten, Ole, Jaffe, Allan S., Kavsak, Pete, Omland, Torbjørn, Ordonez-Lianos, Jordi, Karon, Brad, Apple, Fred S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Norwegian
• Published: Germany De Gruyter 25.05.2023; Walter De Gruyter & Company
• Subjects: acute coronary syndrome; Acute Coronary Syndrome - diagnosis; Acute coronary syndromes; acute myocardial-infarction; Biomarkers; cardiac troponin I; cardiac troponin T; Cardiology; Chemistry, Clinical; Clinical aspects; Clinical Medicine; Clinics; Control equipment; controlled-trial; Decision making; Departments; diagnosis; Education; educational recommendations; Emergency medical care; emergency-department; Heart; Hospitals; Humans; impact; Information systems; Inventory management; Klinisk medicin; Laboratories; management; Mathematical analysis; Medical Laboratory Technology; Medicine; Pathology; Patients; Point of care testing; Point-of-Care Systems; Power supply; Quality assessment; Quality control; randomized; Therapeutic applications; time; Troponin; Troponin T; Troubleshooting; Workflow; point of care testing; cardiac troponin T; educational recommendations; cardiac troponin I
• ISSN: 1434-6621; 1437-4331; 1437-4331
• DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2022-1270

The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboarator Medicine (IFCC) Committee on Clinical Applications of Cardiac Bio-Markers (C-CB) has provided evidence-based educational resources to aid and improve the understanding of important analytical and clinical aspects of cardiac biomarkers. The present IFCC C-CB educational report focuses on recommendations for appropriate use, analytical performance, and gaps in clinical studies related to the use of cardiac troponin (cTn) by point of care (POC) measurement, often referred to as a point of care testing (POCT). The use of high-sensitivity (hs)-cTn POC devices in accelerated diagnostic protocols used in emergency departments or outpatient clinics investigating acute coronary syndrome has the potential for improved efficacy, reduction of length of stay and reduced costs in the health care system. POCT workflow integration includes location of the instrument, assignment of collection and testing responsibility to (non-lab) staff, instrument maintenance, in-service and recurrent training, quality control, proficiency assessments, discrepant result trapping, and troubleshooting and inventory management.