Simple test accurately rules out heart attack in ER

Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden has found a simple test that accurately rules out a heart attack or the risk of heart attack for patients in the ER with chest pain.

The blood test paired with a normal electrocardiogram of the heartbeat was 99 percent accurate in determining which patients could be safely sent home without the hassle and expense of being admitted to the hospital.

Of the 9,000 patients in the study with low-risk blood tests and normal EKGs, only 15 suffered a heart attack in the next month and none of them resulted in death.

Doctors at the hospital are hopeful the new test could reduce chest pain admissions by 20 to 25 percent.

[Wochit]