Journal of general internal medicine
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High-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) is now the recommended biomarker for diagnosis of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, but proper interpretation varies based on the assay being used. Nearly uniformly, suggested interpretations of assay-specific hs-cTn results are based on predictive values, which are not applicable to most patients. ⋯ Furthermore, we will provide a blueprint for how to use existing published data presented with predictive values to calculate likelihood ratios. Changing the output of diagnostic accuracy studies and diagnostic algorithms from predictive values to likelihood ratios can improve patient care.