Weappreciate the interest ourmanuscript has raised and respond to the comments abridgedly pointing at recent literature. Our patient cohort consisted of consecutive ED patients having hs-cTn measurements (AMI n =… Click to show full abstract
Weappreciate the interest ourmanuscript has raised and respond to the comments abridgedly pointing at recent literature. Our patient cohort consisted of consecutive ED patients having hs-cTn measurements (AMI n = 609; controls n = 964; see Fig. 1 from our manuscript) [6]. By this procedure only patients with an a priori suspicion of myocardial damage were included. However, a selection as suggested by Dr. Badertscher et al. would likewise be biased, as only about half of the AMI patients present with chest pain [1]. Retrospectively the physicians' intentions cannot be evaluated— heart failure and pulmonary embolism are exemplary for a wide variety of conditions leading to the release of cTn, necessitating an interpretation in a broader context [2]. Recent literature suggests that “there is now a large and convincing body of evidence to support the assertion that low hs-cTn cutoffs can be used to rule out AMI with a single blood test” [3]. Alone, combined with an electrocardiogram, or in modeling approaches, cTn can be used to rule out AMI [4]. While “the proportion of patients who could have AMI ruled out varies widely by cohort, with estimates ranging from 6% to 61%” [3], comparability between c-statistics depends on the homogeneity of the cohorts and the prevalence of non-T1MI therein. Serial measurements can improve the specificity of a given test, but not independently from pathophysiological dynamics. The purpose of
               
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