Cardiac Troponin I

Measures a marker linked to heart muscle damage.

As part of an emergency evaluation when heart muscle injury is suspected.

1. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath or a suspected heart attack, seek emergency care immediately.
2. Do not wait to be fasting or for the morning.
3. Tell the staff when your symptoms started and what medications you take.
4. If needed, the test is repeated on a strict time schedule.

Fasting is generally not required. If another test has been ordered at the same time, the overall preparation plan may change.

If you have symptoms, do not wait for the morning. Repeat blood draws at set time intervals are often needed.

• Time since symptoms began
• Kidney function and heart muscle injury from other causes
• Trend across serial measurements

Venous blood — serum or plasma, depending on the method

The blood sample is collected by a qualified staff member. The tube type, required volume, and processing and storage conditions are set by the laboratory's specific method. You do not need to store the sample yourself.

A rise in troponin indicates heart muscle injury, but a heart attack is diagnosed based on symptoms, the ECG and the trend over time.

If you have chest pain, difficulty breathing, a cold sweat, nausea or sudden weakness, seek emergency care immediately — do not wait for the result.

Troponin is a biomarker of heart injury, not a tumor marker.