On Use of Biochemical Markers in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Ifcc Proposals

Proper evaluation of the patient with acute chest pain is a resource-intensive and expensive process. Critical to the effective management of these patients are the early recognition of a cardiac ischaemic event and the proper placement of the patient in the risk spectrum of the acute coronary syndrome. With increasing economic pressures on health care, physicians, health plans, and medical centres are interested in improving the efficiency of care for patients with acute chest pain. This interest recently reinforced the need for a better diagnostic approach to patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome and, consequently, the need for a new standard definition of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and of risk determination.