NCT07636642

Brief Summary

Cardiac troponin is a protein released into the blood when the heart muscle is damaged. Measuring this protein helps doctors diagnose a heart attack (also called a myocardial infarction). Modern blood tests, known as high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays, can detect very small amounts of this protein. A new version of this test, called Troponin T high-sensitivity Gen 6, has recently been developed and approved for use. It is designed to be more accurate and reliable, detecting smaller changes in troponin levels and being less affected by technical interference. The investigators believe this improved test will allow doctors to diagnose heart attacks more quickly and decide sooner who needs to stay in hospital and who can safely go home. This could help reduce overcrowding in Accident and Emergency (A\&E) departments, a major challenge for the NHS. This study will examine whether switching to this new test across a health board shortens the time patients with suspected heart attacks spend in the Emergency Department. The investigators will use information from the DataLoch Heart Disease Registry, which automatically collects anonymised hospital data for patients attending with possible heart attacks. The investigators will compare data from one year before and one year after implementation to see whether average length of stay changes and to confirm that patient safety remains high. This investigators will also measure both the current and new versions of the troponin test in surplus blood samples collected during two six-month periods-one before and one after the new test is introduced. This will allows the investigators to directly compare the two tests reliably. Patients will not need to do anything extra to take part - the study uses information and samples already collected as part of their usual care.

Trial Health

63
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
19,500

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
36mo left

Started Jun 2026

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

3 active sites

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress1%
Jun 2026May 2029

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

May 22, 2026

Completed
10 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 1, 2026

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 9, 2026

Completed
1.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

May 1, 2028

Expected
1 year until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

May 1, 2029

Last Updated

June 9, 2026

Status Verified

May 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

1.9 years

First QC Date

May 22, 2026

Last Update Submit

June 4, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

cardiac troponinmyocardial infarctionacute coronary syndromeaccelerated decision pathwayTroponin T high sensitivity generation six

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Length of stay within the Emergency Department

    Length of stay within the Emergency Department, defined as the time from arrival until discharge from the Emergency Department or referral for admission to hospital.

    From Emergency Department arrival until Emergency Department discharge or hospital admission, up to 7 days

Secondary Outcomes (19)

  • Length of hospital stay

    From initial presentation until hospital discharge, up to 1 year

  • Hospital admission

    From initial presentation to the Emergency Department up to 7 days

  • Serial cardiac troponin measurements

    From initial presentation until hospital discharge, up to 1 year

  • Cardiovascular death at 30 days

    From initial presentation until 30 days after initial presentation

  • Cardiovascular death at 1 year

    From initial presentation until 1 year after initial presentation

  • +14 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Pre-implementation

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Consecutive patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome for 12 months prior to the implementation of the sixth generation hs-cTnT assay will be enrolled into the "pre-implementation" arm, where care is guided by the current, fifth-generation assay

Diagnostic Test: fifth-generation high sensitivity cardiac troponin T assay

Post-implementation

EXPERIMENTAL

Consecutive patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome for 12 months after the implementation of the sixth generation hs-cTnT assay will be enrolled into the "post-implementation" arm, where care is guided by the sixth-generation assay

Diagnostic Test: sixth-generation high sensitivity cardiac troponin T assay

Interventions

Elecsys Troponin T hs Gen 6 is an immunoassay for the in vitro quantitative determination of cardiac troponin T in human serum and plasma, that can be used as an aid in the differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome to identify necrosis, e.g. acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In contrast to the previous generation of the assay (Elecsys Troponin T hs), the Gen 6 assay has been standardised against recombinant human cardiac troponin T, and has been demonstrated to have greater analytical precision and resistance to interference.

Also known as: Troponin T high sensitivity generation six, TnT hs Gen 6
Post-implementation

Elecsys Troponin T Gen 5 is an immunoassay for the in vitro quantitative determination of cardiac troponin T in human serum and plasma, that can be used as an aid in the differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome to identify necrosis, e.g. acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It is the most widely used high-sensitivity troponin assay globally.

Also known as: Troponin T gen 5
Pre-implementation

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Age 18 years and over.
  • Attending clinician suspects acute coronary syndrome.
  • At least one measurement of cardiac troponin using the Gen 5 or Gen 6 hs-cTnT assay.

You may not qualify if:

  • Insufficient clinical information to perform record linkage.
  • Not resident in Scotland.
  • Previous enrolment in the study.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (3)

The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH16 4SA, United Kingdom

Location

Western General Hospital

Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH4 2XU, United Kingdom

Location

St. John's Hospital

Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6PP, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (2)

  • Boeddinghaus J, Li Z, Bularga A, Taggart C, Wereski R, Chapman AR, Lee KK, Tuck C, Gunn R, Jenks S, McCance K, Pattenden R, Malo J, Thurston AJF, Tew YY, McDermott M, Gray A, Cruden NLM, Anand A, Kimenai DM, Mills NL; TWITCH-ED Investigators. Clinical Decisions and Outcomes After Switching High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assays in Suspected ACS: An Interrupted Time-Series Study. JAMA Cardiol. 2026 Feb 1;11(2):186-192. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2025.4661.

    PMID: 41405901BACKGROUND
  • Thurston AJF, Tew YY, Lopez-Ayala P, Koechlin L, O'Brien R, Lynch S, Cooper JG, Fujisawa T, Bima P, McDermott M, Tuck C, Mizerska M, Highton-Williamson E, McCurrach F, Lowry MTH, Doudesis D, Anand A, Lee KK, Ferry AV, Chapman A, Newby DE, Boeddinghaus J, Mueller C, Gray AJ, Mills NL; POC-ET and APACE Investigators. Early Rule Out of Myocardial Infarction With a Novel High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Assay. JAMA Cardiol. 2026 Apr 22:e260477. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2026.0477. Online ahead of print.

    PMID: 42018311BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Myocardial InfarctionAcute Coronary Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Myocardial IschemiaHeart DiseasesCardiovascular DiseasesVascular DiseasesInfarctionIschemiaPathologic ProcessesPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsNecrosis

Study Officials

  • Andrew R Chapman, MD PhD

    University of Edinburgh

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Andrew R Chapman, MD PhD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NON RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Intervention Model
SEQUENTIAL
Model Details: Prospective controlled before-and-after study
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

May 22, 2026

First Posted

June 9, 2026

Study Start

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2029

Last Updated

June 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

The individual data underlying the study can be made available via a Secure Data Environment to approved researchers on application to DataLoch (dataloch@ed.ac.uk)

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL
Time Frame
From study conclusion for 5 years
Access Criteria
Access is contingent on a project application to DataLoch that fulfils key governance criteria on independent review. Further details may be obtained by contacting dataloch@ed.ac.uk
More information

Locations