Troponin - T Test

Troponin Y test is conducted on patients complaing of or diagnosed of chest pain, acute myocardial infarction (MI) and acute coronary syndrome. Results of this test are referred for timely diagnosis and treatment of such patients. Troponin T and Troponin I are proteins of thin muscle filaments. Rise or fall in the levels of these cardiac specific markers is one of the tests required to detect MI condition in patients. Based on its results, it can be then decided whether the patient should be sent to the angiography ward for intervention or to discharge from the hospital.

There is no particular drill that you need to follow for this test. An expert physician extracts a minimal amount of blood from a clearly visible vein from your arm. Therefore it is advisable to wear clothes accordingly i.e. a short sleeve dress or shirt or a t-shirt is recommended. There are no restrictions on having food before this test. However, some other tests might require fasting may be for 2 or more hours wherein you will be advised earlier. It is best to follow the instructions given to you by the lab assistant.

This test will usually be ordered when a person is suspected for heart attack, first comes into the emergency room. It is useful to undergo this test when a person has the following symptoms: Chest pain, Rapid heart rate, Nausea or vomiting, Cold sweat , Light headedness, Undue fatigue, Pain in the back, arm jaw, neck or stomach.

A high troponin level indicates damage to the cardiac muscles. Normal troponin level means that the symptoms may be due to cause unrelated to the heart.

The expert will make you sit comfortably first so that you should not shake off suddenly due to the prick. A tight band will be tied at the upper arm to restrict the blood flow and direct it towards the lower arm. The expert will then examine the area behind your elbow to find the visible and prominent veins. A cotton swab dipped in spirit is used to clean the area to draw the blood from. Finally a needle is inserted through the vein and a syringeful of blood is drawn out and stored in a test tube with your name labeled on it. This sample of blood is then sent to the laboratory for investigation.