Point-of-Care Troponin T Testing in the Management of Patients with Chest Pain in the Swedish Primary Care
Table 1
Clinical characteristics of chest pain patients managed in primary health care (PHC) centres with and without point-of-care Troponin T testing (POCT-TnT).
Patients from PHC centres with POCT-TnT
Patients from PHC centres without POCT-TnT
value
Demographics
Age, years mean ± SD
0.670
Male, (%)
71 (56)
42 (62)
0.396
Presenting symptom
Chest pain, (%)
110 (86)
60 (88)
0.652
Weakness and/or dyspnoea on exertion, no chest pain, (%)
18 (14)
8 (12)
0.652
Risk factors
Current smokers, (%)
15 (12)
10 (15)
0.787
Diabetes, (%)
20 (16)
5 (7.4)
0.098
Hypertension, (%)
47 (37)
28 (41)
0.541
Hypercholesterolemia, (%)
36 (28)
16 (24)
0.488
Cardiovascular disease
Angina pectoris, (%)
22 (17)
10 (15)
0.655
Previous AMI, (%)
20 (16)
8 (12)
0.462
Coronary revascularisation, (%)
16 (13)
6 (8.8)
0.438
Stroke, (%)
5 (3.9)
2 (2.9)
1.000
Heart failure, (%)
12 (9.4)
2 (2.9)
0.144
Aortic valve disease, (%)
6 (4.7)
3 (4.4)
1.000
Potential causes of elevation of Troponin T in the absence of overt ischemic heart disease1, (%)
3 (2.3)
0 (0)
1.000
ECG
Sinus rhythm, (%)
114 (89)
62 (91)
0.890
Atrial fibrillation, (%)
12 (9.4)
5 (7.4)
0.890
1That is, hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, renal failure, or amyloidosis.
