Assessment of cardiac troponin I in patients with pulmonary emboli and its relationship with right ventricular dysfunction

Background and Right ventricular dysfunction is common in major pulmonary embolisms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and diagnostic utility of cardiac troponin I and also to identify patients with RV dysfunction in pulmonary embolism. This study was conducted on 42 patients with pulmonary embolism in Ekbatan Hospital, in Hamedan city. Data from history, echocardiogram, and lung perfusion scan was obtained from medical records. Blood samples were obtained immediately after pulmonary embolism was diagnosed. Cardiac troponin was measured using chromatographic assay. Two patients (4.8%) had positive troponin I (≥0.5µg/l), and 40 patients (95.2%) had negative troponin I (< 0.5µg/l). RV dysfunction was detected in 16 patients (38%). RV dysfunction was detected in 1 of positive troponin I patients and 15 with negative troponin I (37.5%). No significant relationship was found between RV dysfunction and troponin I level (p>0.05). Our data demonstrates that troponin I measurement is not able to distinguish specifically between coronary and non- coronary causes of chest pain.