Abstract
The use of troponin T to facilitate early patient discharge was investigated in a prospective study in a district general hospital. Troponin T was measured in 91 patients admitted over a period of 6 months with chest pain but without evidence of myocardial infarction. The main outcome measure was length of hospital stay. A negative troponin T was found in 70 patients. Fifty of these were discharged within 24h of the troponin result being available and they had a significantly shorter hospital stay than a case-control group and a historical control group from the previous 6 months. Troponin T measurement has a role in altering patient management by enabling early discharge, resulting in significant cost savings and increasing bed availability.