Analytical and clinical performance of an improved qualitative troponin T rapid test in laboratories and critical care units.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of a visual troponin T rapid test in the hands of nontraditionally trained personnel of 2 critical care units in comparison to 3 laboratories. METHODS: Method comparisons of the troponin T rapid test versus cardiac troponin T enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed with 804 samples from 510 patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes. Cross-reactivity with skeletal troponin T was studied up to 5000 microg/L. RESULTS: Laboratories and critical care units obtained comparable results in the analytical cutoff of the test (0.11 and 0. 10 microg/L) and in the diagnostic sensitivities in the detection of acute myocardial infarction (96% and 93% after 8 hours) and of high-risk patients with unstable angina pectoris (100% and 100%). Different percentages of false-positive results (0.2% and 3%) were found, which may reflect different objectives and strategies in these hospital units. The cross-reactivity with skeletal troponin T was less than 0.01%. CONCLUSIONS: The troponin T rapid test gives reliable results not only when used by laboratory personnel experienced in the execution of analytical methods, but also in the hands of nurses and physicians working in clinical units outside the laboratory.