Objective Cardiovascular complications are important causes of morbidity and mortality in elective non-cardiac surgery. Although difficult to diagnose, perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) remains prognostically important. High-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) assays allow detection of very minor damage to cardiac muscle. These assays are yet to be fully evaluated in the perioperative setting. Our aim was to determine the incidence and predictors of myocardial necrosis in patients at high cardiovascular risk undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery using hs-TnT.

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Introduction Recurrent event rates after myocardial infarction (MI) remain unacceptably high, in part because of the continued growth and destabilization of residual coronary atherosclerotic plaques, which may occur despite lipid-lowering therapy. Inflammation is an important contributor to this ongoing risk. Recent studies have shown that the broad-acting anti-inflammatory agent, colchicine, may reduce adverse cardiovascular events in patients post-MI, although the mechanistic basis for this remains unclear. Advances in endovascular arterial wall imaging have allowed detailed characterization of the burden and compositional phenotype of coronary plaque, along with its natural history and responsiveness to treatment. One such example has been the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to demonstrate the plaque-stabilizing effects of statins on both fibrous cap thickness and the size of lipid pools within plaque. Methods The Phase 2, multi-centre, double-blind colchicine for coronary plaque modification in acute coronary syndrome (COCOMO-ACS) study will evaluate the effect of colchicine 0.5 mg daily on coronary plaque features using serial OCT imaging in patients following MI. Recruitment for the trial has been completed with 64 participants with non-ST elevation MI randomized 1:1 to colchicine or placebo in addition to guideline recommended therapies, including high-intensity statins. The primary endpoint is the effect of colchicine on the minimal fibrous cap thickness of non-culprit plaque over an 18-month period. Summary The COCOMO-ACS study will determine whether addition of colchicine 0.5 mg daily to standard post-MI treatment has incremental benefits on high-risk features of coronary artery plaques. If confirmed, this will provide new mechanistic insights into how colchicine may confer clinical benefits in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Trial Registration ANZCTR trial registration number: ACTRN12618000809235. Date of trial registration: 11th of May 2018.

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ObjectiveWe tested the hypothesis that patients with a potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and very low levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I can be efficiently and safely discharged from the emergency department after a single troponin measurement.MethodsThis prospective cohort study recruited 2255 consecutive patients aged ≥18 years presenting to the Emergency Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia, with chest pain without high-risk features but requiring the exclusion of ACS. Patients were managed using a guideline-recommended pathway or our novel Single Troponin Accelerated Triage (STAT) pathway. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients discharged in <3 hours. Secondary outcomes included the duration of observation and death or acute myocardial infarction in the next 30 days.ResultsThe study enrolled 1131 patients to the standard cohort and 1124 to the STAT cohort. Thirty-eight per cent of the standard cohort were discharged directly from emergency department compared with 63% of the STAT cohort (p<0.001). The median duration of observation was 4.3 (IQR 3.3–7.1) hours in the standard cohort and 3.6 (2.6–5.4) hours in the STAT cohort (p<0.001), with 21% and 38% discharged in <3 hours, respectively (p<0.001). No patients discharged directly from the emergency department died or suffered an acute myocardial infarction within 30 days in either cohort.ConclusionsAmong low-risk patients with a potential ACS, a pathway which incorporates early discharge based on a single very low level of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin increases the proportion of patients discharged directly from the emergency department, reduces length of stay and is safe.Trial registration numberACTRN12618000797279.

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