Most labs testing children for cardiac troponin lack pediatric reference ranges, survey finds

A new global survey conducted by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Committee on Emerging Technologies in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine (C-ETPLM) has found that most labs testing children for cardiac troponin lack pediatric reference ranges. Cardiac troponin, a protein released into the blood when heart muscle is damaged, can be used as a quick measure of heart injury in adults, but doctors often lack data on normal troponin measurements for children.

Of the eligible respondents, 58.5% reported offering cardiac troponin testing in-house, but 65.5% of these lacked child-specific reference intervals, relying instead on manufacturer-provided adult reference intervals. The lack of consistent, validated child-specific guidelines is a major obstacle to giving children reliable heart care, as heart attacks are rare in children and troponin testing is used to evaluate a wide range of child-specific conditions.

The researchers argue that troponin testing needs different benchmarks tailored to each specific condition, rather than one generic reference range applied broadly.

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