Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis on Prehospital Risk Assessment in Patients Suspected of Non-ST-segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome

Patients with a non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) are currently transported and admitted to the nearest emergency department (ED) for risk stratification, diagnostic workup, and treatment. Recently, several prospective studies have been performed on the diagnostic performance of point-of-care (POC)-troponin and combined risk scores (CRS) for pre-hospital risk assessment and triage of NSTE-ACS patients. Also the first intervention trials on triage decisions based on POC troponin and CRS have been performed. Initial results are indicating that prehospital triage based on these diagnostic tools is feasible and safe, although sample sizes were relatively small and underpowered to detect differences in major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The objective of this individual patient data meta-analysis is to determine the diagnostic performance of POC troponin and combined risk scores for prehospital risk assessment and triage in suspected NSTE-ACS patients.