However, as a recent news article by Forbes explains, only about ten percent of patients who check into the emergency room with acute pain in their chest are actually experiencing a real heart attack, known among physicians as myocardial infarction. Thankfully, for the other ninety percent, their issues usually end up being less severe.

Despite this, says Kris Crawford, South Carolina emergency room physician, most potential heart attack sufferers are not released from the emergency room until six to twelve hours later after an extensive bout of heart monitoring and multiple batteries of tests. This is because no single test exists in the medical community that can rule out myocardial infarction, or MI, at an early stage.

This, however, may be about to change. As the article reports, a new test is currently under development that, if successful, may help speed up the treatment for heart attacks in emergency rooms around the world.

The trial in question, called the Biomarkers in Cardiology-8 (or BIC-8) trial, was presented at a recent meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam. The trial was designed to work by measuring the utility of the combination of copeptin and troponin testing, says the article.

Copeptin levels correspond in patients to the level of severe hemodynamic stress that they are experiencing. When a heart attack occurs, copeptin levels rise rapidly and immediately. The BIC-8 trial tests for these copeptin levels with a negative predictive value of approximately 99 percent. In other words, the BIC-8 test can hopefully be used to rule out those cases of acute patient chest pain that are not actually being caused by a heart attack.

This would prove an invaluable asset to both doctors and patients alike. As Kris Crawford, South Carolina emergency room physician, explains, it would free up time and resources to save patients undue stress while allowing physicians to focus on the patients who need their help the most.

ABOUT:

Kris Crawford, South Carolina resident, is a man of many talents and faces. He has a medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his training at the McLeod Medical Center, where he now works as an emergency room physician. He also works in the emergency room at the Lake City Community Hospital. In addition to his medical accomplishments, Crawford is also well established in the Republican political circle and receives high praise for his common sense approach to public policies. He now holds a position in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he is able to provide a firsthand insight into many healthcare concerns to his fellow policymakers. Naturally, this makes him a go-to voice on the often discussed Affordable Care Act. Crawford also serves as a volunteer Deputy Sherriff in Florence County and is a board member of several special state committees. Outside of his many positions, Crawford is also a dedicated family man with a wife and four daughters.