Time to Treatment and Acute Coronary Syndromes: Bridging the Gap in Rapid Decision Making

The role of cardiac biomarkers in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment of patients with chest pain and suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has continued to evolve. Although it is clear that troponin (Tn) measurement provides independent prognostic information in patients with suspected ACS, it is less well established that early B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement provides additional incremental prognostic information above and beyond electrocardiography and Tn measurement. It is use flu to identify patients at high risk for adverse events through measurement of Tn and BNP levels so that timely treatment decisions can be made. [Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2010;11(suppl 2):S45-S50 doi: 10.3909/ricm11S2S0001] (C) 2010 MedReviews (R), LLC