Variation in Troponin I Measurement and the Cardiovascular Management Approach Following Elevated Troponin I Among Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis

Troponin I is frequently elevated in sepsis, but optimal clinical approaches to diagnosis and management of troponin I during sepsis are unclear. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe the variation in troponin I measurement and the cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic approach to elevated troponin I among critically ill adults with sepsis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Observational cohort study of the hospital-level variation in serial troponin I measurement, trending troponin I to peak, echocardiography, cardiac stress test, cardiac catheterization, antiplatelet agents, therapeutic anticoagulation, beta-blockers, and statins quantified using hospital median odds ratios—the median odds of receiving an intervention at randomly selected higher versus lower rate hospitals—derived from multivariable-adjusted random-effects logistic regression models with hospital site as the random effect. The Premier Healthcare Database was used. Patients were adults aged greater than 18 years admitted to the ICU with sepsis from 2016 to 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The hospital-level median odds ratios of troponin I measurement as well as cardiovascular diagnostics and therapeutics. RESULTS: Among 85,830 adults with sepsis, 53,058 (61.8%) had a troponin I measured, with a median odds ratio of troponin measurement across hospitals of 5.30 (95% CI, 4.98–5.67). Among 27,665 adults (32.2%) with sepsis and an elevated troponin I level, 84.8% had serial troponin I measurements, 66.0% had troponin trended to peak level, 66.7% had an echocardiogram, 4.1% had a cardiac stress test, 6.6% underwent cardiac catheterization, 48.3% received antiplatelet agents, 8.3% received therapeutic anticoagulation, 50.5% received beta-blockers, and 38.1% received statins. The median odds ratios between hospitals for cardiovascular diagnostics and therapeutics ranged from 1.28 (95% CI, 1.24–1.32) for use of beta-blockers to 7.58 (95% CI, 6.43–8.77) for use of therapeutic anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Both troponin I measurement and the approach to an elevated troponin I among critically ill adults with sepsis varied widely across hospitals consistent with disparate practice and care efficiency. Prospective studies are needed to guide an informed approach to troponin I measurement and cardiovascular evaluation in sepsis.