A revolutionary blood test, capable of diagnosing a heart attack in minutes rather than hours, is set to transform emergency care for patients in the UK. Backed by the British Heart Foundation, this innovation promises to slash waiting times and alleviate the severe overcrowding plaguing NHS emergency departments.
How the Rapid Test Works
Currently, when a person arrives at a hospital with chest pains, medical staff must take a blood sample to check for a protein called troponin, which is released into the bloodstream when the heart muscle is damaged. This sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis, a process that can take up to two hours, causing critical delays in treatment and diagnosis for what could be a life-threatening condition.
The new method, however, is dramatically faster. It involves placing just a drop of the patient's blood onto a small cartridge, which is then inserted into a portable device. This machine analyses the troponin levels on the spot, providing doctors with a result in as little as 20 minutes.
Proven Benefits for Patients and Hospitals
Research led by Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand, which utilised this rapid testing across six hospitals, found that patients were either admitted to a ward or discharged home 47 minutes quicker on average compared to those given the standard lab test.
Professor Nicholas Mills, BHF Professor of Cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, who contributed to the study's design, explained the impact. "When people go to the emergency department fearing they have had a heart attack, a blood sample is taken and sent to another part of the hospital for analysis in a lab," he said. "By the time the results are available, it is likely the doctor or nurse will have been called away, so there are unfortunate and unintended delays in making decisions for patients."
He emphasised that tests performed in real-time within minutes are far better for patients, significantly reducing anxiety as they wait for a diagnosis.
Safety and Future Deployment
Crucially, the research confirmed that the rapid test is just as safe as the traditional method. The rate of people dying from cardiovascular disease or suffering a subsequent heart attack in the 30 days following their emergency department visit was similar, regardless of which test they received. This confirms that the quicker process allows for faster decisions without increasing the risk of missing heart attacks.
The test is already being implemented in some British hospitals. Beyond A&E, scientists believe it has the potential to be deployed in GP practices and dedicated chest pain clinics, helping to identify heart attacks in community settings that might otherwise go undetected.
Professor Mills added a final key point: "Crucially, these tests could also ease some of the pressure on overcrowded emergency departments, helping people move through more quickly." This innovation represents a significant step forward in improving both patient outcomes and the operational efficiency of the NHS.
