The diagnostic performance of sensitive cardiac troponin assays is excellent, and these assays can substantially improve the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, particularly in patients with a recent onset of chest pain. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00470587.)

The additional use of copeptin seems to allow a rapid and reliable rule out of AMI already at presentation and may thereby obviate the need for prolonged monitoring and serial blood sampling in the majority of patients. (Advantageous Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndromes Evaluation [APACE]; NCT00470587).

1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLEEditorial, see p XXX BACKGROUND: Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) seems to be a contributor to mortality after noncardiac surgery. Because the vast majority of PMIs are asymptomatic, PMI usually is missed in the absence of systematic screening. METHODS:We performed a prospective diagnostic study enrolling consecutive patients undergoing noncardiac surgery who had a planned postoperative stay of ≥24 hours and were considered at increased cardiovascular risk. All patients received a systematic screening using serial measurements of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in clinical routine. PMI was defined as an absolute high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T increase of ≥14 ng/L from preoperative to postoperative measurements. Furthermore, mortality was compared among patients with PMI not fulfilling additional criteria (ischemic symptoms, new ECG changes, or imaging evidence of loss of viable myocardium) required for the diagnosis of spontaneous acute myocardial infarction versus those that did. RESULTS:From 2014 to 2015 we included 2018 consecutive patients undergoing 2546 surgeries. Patients had a median age of 74 years and 42% were women. PMI occurred after 397 of 2546 surgeries (16%; 95% confidence interval, 14%-17%) and was accompanied by typical chest pain in 24 of 397 patients (6%) and any ischemic symptoms in 72 of 397 (18%). Crude 30-day mortality was 8.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7-12.0) in patients with PMI versus 1.5% (95% CI, 0.9-2.0) in patients without PMI (P<0.001). Multivariable regression analysis showed an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.7 (95% CI, 1.5-4.8) for 30-day mortality. The difference was retained at 1 year with mortality rates of 22.5% (95% CI, 17.6-27.4) versus 9.3% (95% CI, 7.9-10.7). Thirty-day mortality was comparable among patients with PMI not fulfilling any other of the additional criteria required for spontaneous acute myocardial infarction (280/397, 71%) versus those with at least 1 additional criterion (10.4%; 95% CI, versus 8.7%; 95% CI, P=0.684). CONCLUSIONS:PMI is a common complication after noncardiac surgery and, despite early detection during routine clinical screening, is associated with substantial short-and long-term mortality. Mortality seems comparable in patients with PMI not fulfilling any other of the additional criteria required for spontaneous acute myocardial infarction versus those patients who do. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) has recently been identified as an important, yet often undetected complication after noncardiac surgery, strongly associated with 30-day mortality. [1][2][3][4][5] In contrast with spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI), PMI most commonly does not exhibit typical symptoms of myocardial ischemia, such as chest pain, angina pectoris, or dyspnea, and is therefore missed in routine clinical practice in most institutions in the United States and worldwide. [1][2][3][4][5] Considering that >300 million surgeries are performed annually and that de...

Sensitive cTn assays have high diagnostic accuracy also in the elderly. Mild elevations are common in elderly non-AMI patients, therefore the optimal cut-off levels are substantially higher in elderly as compared with younger patients. Furthermore, sensitive cTn assays yielded different prognostic value.

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OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of currently available data regarding the prognostic significance of soluble suppression of tumorigenecity-2 (sST2) concentration in acute heart failure (AHF).BACKGROUND Concentration of sST2 may have prognostic value in AHF. A comprehensive assessment of all available

Short-term infusions of single vasodilators, usually given in a fixed dose, have not improved outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (AHF).OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of a strategy that emphasized early intensive and sustained vasodilation using individualized up-titrated doses of established vasodilators in patients with AHF. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSRandomized, open-label blinded-end-point trial enrolling 788 patients hospitalized for AHF with dyspnea, increased plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides, systolic blood pressure of at least 100 mm Hg, and plan for treatment in a general ward in 10 tertiary and secondary hospitals in Switzerland, Bulgaria, Germany, Brazil, and Spain. Enrollment began in December 2007 and follow-up was completed in February 2019.INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized 1:1 to a strategy of early intensive and sustained vasodilation throughout the hospitalization (n = 386) or usual care (n = 402). Early intensive and sustained vasodilation was a comprehensive pragmatic approach of maximal and sustained vasodilation combining individualized doses of sublingual and transdermal nitrates, low-dose oral hydralazine for 48 hours, and rapid up-titration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or sacubitril-valsartan. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for AHF at 180 days. RESULTS Among 788 patients randomized, 781 (99.1%; median age, 78 years; 36.9% women) completed the trial and were eligible for primary end point analysis. Follow-up at 180 days was completed for 779 patients (99.7%). The primary end point, a composite of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for AHF at 180 days, occurred in 117 patients (30.6%) in the intervention group (including 55 deaths [14.4%]) and in 111 patients (27.8%) in the usual care group (including 61 deaths [15.3%]) (absolute difference for the primary end point, 2.8% [95% CI, −3.7% to 9.3%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.83-1.39]; P = .59). The most common clinically significant adverse events with early intensive and sustained vasodilation vs usual care were hypokalemia (23% vs 25%), worsening renal function (21% vs 20%), headache (26% vs 10%), dizziness (15% vs 10%), and hypotension (8% vs 2%).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among patients with AHF, a strategy of early intensive and sustained vasodilation, compared with usual care, did not significantly improve a composite outcome of all-cause mortality and AHF rehospitalization at 180 days.