Markers to define ischemia: Are they ready for prime time use in patients with acute coronary syndromes?

Optimal treatment of patients who present with chest pain is predicated on accurate identification of those patients with a cardiac etiology of their discomfort. Serial troponins and electrocardiograms are very sensitive for the detection of myocardial infarction but they are insensitive for the detection of ischemia. There are many analytes that are being actively evaluated for routine use to facilitate the identification of patients with myocardial ischemia. At present, only one assay is US Food and Drug Administration-approved for the exclusion of ischemia; many other analytes are under clinical evaluation and are briefly reviewed. At present, none of these analytes are yet appropriate for routine clinical use. Copyright © 2004 by Current Science Inc.