New heart attack test could reduce unnecessary admissions.(News)

Nearly all myocardial infarctions can be identified within 90 minutes by serially measuring the serum concentrations of three cardiac proteins, a new study conducted at the Veterans Administration Health Care System in San Diego, California, has found (American Journal of Cardiology 2001;88:611-7).

Dr Alan Maisel, chairman of the cardiology department at the University of California at San Diego, and his colleagues observed 1285 consecutive patients admitted to the emergency department with chest pain over a nine month period.

Patients were evaluated by clinical history, electrocardiography, and whole blood levels of …