New test for heart attack damage

Test could enable patients to get treatment at an earlier stage

Doctors have developed a test that can rule out heart damage within six hours of admission to an emergency department.

It is hoped the new test will enable doctors to more accurately diagnose patients at risk and to give them treatment at an earlier stage, which could help to save lives.

Patients can be told straight away whether they are suffering a heart attack, rather than having to wait to the next morning

Dr Katrina Herren

It should also allow patients who are given the all-clear to be safely discharged much earlier, and cut unnecessary admissions.

Up to 4% of all patients who arrive at hospital emergency departments complain of chest pain.

The current test, widely used in hospitals to assess whether chest pain is linked to damage of the heart muscles, requires patients be kept in hospital for a minimum of 24 hours.

But a previous study in one UK hospital showed it was only offered to around 25% of patients.

Of the 75% who were not offered the test, 6% were found to have been discharged inappropriately.

In the latest study, researchers from the Manchester Royal Infirmary carried out tests on 292 patients who attended the hospital's emergency department with chest pain.

Using the new test, 53 patients recorded a positive result, and 239 patients recorded a negative result.

Patients with a positive result were admitted to hospital.

All other patients were discharged to the care of their GP, and asked to return after two days.

At risk

Further analysis found that just one person initially given the all-clear was actually at risk.

Currently, doctors test for heart damage by measuring its electrical activity using an electro-cardiogram (ECG) two to three times over the course of 24 hours, and carrying out blood tests to analyse the chemicals it produces.

The new test also relies on ECG readings, but these are performed by a computer once every 30 seconds to provide a constant measure of the heart's electrical activity.

The associated blood tests are also much speedier and more up-to-date

Dr Katrina Herren said: "The new test improves the quality of care for patients, and can save lives.

"Patients can be told straight away whether they are suffering heart damage, rather than having to wait to the next morning."

A British Heart Foundation spokesperson said: "This a carefully conducted study which shows that it's possible to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital by more intensive monitoring for a period of six hours.

"It could allow some patients to return home earlier and makes more effective use of hospital resources."

The research is published in the British Medical Journal.