Troponin
Formal Definition
Cardiac troponin (cTnI or cTnT): a highly sensitive biomarker released into the bloodstream when myocardial cells are injured or necrosed, used as the primary diagnostic marker for acute myocardial infarction.
How It's Used on the Ward
"Check a trop" or "troponins are trending up" — serial troponin levels determine whether chest pain is cardiac in origin.
Example
""Trop came back at 0.08 on arrival. Repeat in 3 hours: 1.2. That's a positive delta troponin — this is NSTEMI until proven otherwise. Cardiology now.""
Clinical Context
A single troponin is not diagnostic — the delta (change over serial draws) is what matters. High-sensitivity troponin assays detect smaller rises but also more false positives. Troponin can be mildly elevated in PE, myocarditis, sepsis, and renal failure without ACS. Always interpret in clinical context: symptoms + ECG + trop trend.
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