Evaluating a new graphical ordinal logit method (GOLDminer) in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction utilizing clinical features and laboratory data.

OBJECTIVE: We used a new graphical ordinal logit method (GOLDminer) to assess a single cardiac troponin T (cTnT) analysis at the time of admission (first generation monoclonal; Roche BMC Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana), the character of chest pain, and electrocardiographic (ECG)findings in predicting the likelihood of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients presenting with suspected myocardial ischemia. The final diagnosis of AMI was based on serial ECG findings and evolution of CKMB isoenzyme levels in conjunction with clinical findings. SUBJECTS: The study population consisted of 293 consecutive patients who presented at a mean of six hours after onset of chest pain or associated symptoms warranting a "rule-out" for AMI assessment to a university-affiliated community hospital. RESULTS: The odds-ratio for an elevated cTnT (> 0. 1 ng/ml) in AMI was 22.2:1. There was an association between typical chest pain and cTnT (chi square = 78.23, p < .0001) and between abnormal ECG findings and cTnT (chi square = 108, p < .0001). The cTnT yielded diagnostic benefit in addition to chest pain characteristics and ECG findings in AMI. We present the odds-ratios for the combined features in GOLDminer plots. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate how the odds-ratios for AMI are obtained after scaling continuous to ordinal the values for a single cTnT determination alone and with other features in patients presenting with chest pain.