Pattern and consequences of cardiologic medications management for patients with elevated troponin I upon admission into an intensive care unit not linked to type 1 acute myocardial infarction: A prospective observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: No recommendations are currently available to help the clinician with the pharmacological management of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with elevated cardiac troponin (cTn) not linked to type 1 AMI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of cardiologic medications for patients with elevated cTnI in ICU not link to type 1 AMI and their effects on in-hospital mortality.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study conducted in two ICU units. Patients with increased plasma concentration of cTnI at admission not linked to type 1 AMI were consecutively included.

RESULTS: One hundred and ninety of the 835 patients admitted (23%) had an increased plasma concentration of cTnI not related to type 1 AMI. Antiplatelet therapy (AT) and statin were prescribed in 56 (29.5%) and 50 (26.3%) of patients, respectively. Others cardiologic medications were prescribed in less than 5% of all cases and were considered as contraindicated in more than 50% of cases. Antiplatelet therapy was the only cardiologic treatment associated with reduction of in-hospital mortality following uni- and multivariate analysis. The death rate was 23% and 40% in these patients treated with and without AT, respectively (aOR=0.39 [95% CI: 0.15-0.97]).

CONCLUSIONS: Statin and AT were frequently prescribed to patients with a cTnI elevation not linked to type 1 AMI. This study suggests that AT in patients with an increased plasma concentration of cTnI, not related to type 1 AMI in ICU, could reduce in-hospital mortality.