A new breakthrough in the field of cardiology will determine whether a patient is having a heart attack hours earlier, which could potentially save significant time and space in emergency rooms, according to The New York Times.
Tests commonly used today can take four to six hours to rule out a heart attack, while the new test, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, takes under an hour to reach the same conclusion.
Taking into account the changes of levels of cardiac troponins, rather than waiting until they reach high levels when a heart attack is well under way, researchers were able to rule out heart attacks in 259 patients of a group of 436 - with 100 percent accuracy.
"It's quite exciting to have a high proportion of patients ruled out very early," said Christian Mueller, professor of cardiology at University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland. Read the full details here:
Heart-Attack Test Rules out False Alarms
Steve Crandall, a top-rated medical malpractice attorney throughout Ohio and Kentucky, believes this new test is a welcome advance in cardiology that could save countless lives.
"The lab study for detection of elevated troponin has long been available but took 4-6 hours to be of any use," said Crandall. "By then valuable heart muscle damage may have already occurred. The advances...will aid in detection and treatment of heart attacks greatly."
If you have any questions regarding medical malpractice throughout Ohio and Kentucky, contact Steve Crandall. Steve is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.
Test Rules Out Heart Attack Within Hour