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NCT Number: NCT07008391

High-Sensitivity Troponin I in Addition to Guideline-Based Care in EMS

The TIGER study is a study investigating the utlility of a point-of-care blood analyse of Troponin I to help identify patients with heart attacks in the prehospital emergency care. The study is conducted within the ambulance services of Region Stockholm and compares standard medical care with and without the addition of this quick test.

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for ambulance dispatch, but currently only about one-third of heart attacks are detected before arriving at the hospital-mainly through ECG. The remaining two-thirds are not identified until after further testing at the emergency department. The TIGER study aims to improve early diagnosis by using a high-sensitivity, point-of-care Troponin I test already in the prehospital phase.

The study is a randomized controlled trial, where participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives standard emergency care along with the rapid Troponin I test in the ambulance. The other group receives standard care without the test. The goal is to evaluate whether the use of Troponin I testing leads to faster and more accurate identification of heart attacks, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

In total, about 1,419 adult patients with chest pain or suspected heart attack will participate. The primary outcome being measured is the time from first medical contact to PCI (balloon angioplasty). Secondary outcomes include time spent in different parts of care, hospital length of stay, the occurrence of serious events (such as heart attack, stroke, or death), and the diagnostic accuracy of the test.

The study has been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority and includes safety monitoring through an interim analysis after the first 150 patients. Test results from the Troponin I analysis are clearly marked as part of the research study and should be interpreted by the responsible physician alongside other clinical findings.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Ambulance care in greater Stockholm Ltd. (AISAB)

Stockholm, Årsta, 12040, Sweden

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jakob Lederman, Phd

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sebastian Bjöhle, Doctoral student

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Veronica Vicente, Ass. professor

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Veronica Vicente, Head of research and inovation, Ass. Professor

CONTACT

[email protected]

+46 8 123 120 00

About this study

The TIGER study is a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the clinical utility of prehospital high-sensitivity Troponin I testing in patients presenting with chest pain or suspected myocardial infarction (MI). The study is conducted within the emergency medical services (EMS) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Participants are randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either standard guideline-based care alone or standard care plus point-of-care Troponin I testing using the Siemens Atellica® VTLi system. The Troponin result is available to EMS providers in real-time and is communicated to the receiving hospital as part of the routine prehospital handover.

The study aims to assess whether the addition of early biomarker data can improve triage, reduce time to treatment (FMC-to-balloon time), and optimize the use of healthcare resources. An interim analysis will be conducted after 150 patients have been enrolled. The study has been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Chestpain / discomfort and/or
  • Clinical suspicion of myocardial infarction by the prehospital personeel

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients suffering from a trauma and conveyed to the trauma level 1 hospital.
  • Missing valid social security number
  • Not beeing able to give informed consent
  • Not a primary assignment

Treatment and study plan

high sensitivity Troponin I

Diagnostic Test

Study participants in the intervention group will have the high-sensitivity Troponin I blood test analyzed during emergency medical service (EMS) care using the point-of-care Siemens Atellica® VTLi system. The test result will be documented in the EMS electronic medical record (FRAPP), transmitted along with the ECG, and communicated verbally to the receiving hospital during handover.

Primary outcomes

  1. Time from First Medical Contact to Vascular Access (FMC-to-Access Time)

    Time frame: From time of first medical contact by EMS to time of vascular access during index PCI procedure, assessed during index hospitalization (typically within 72 hours)

    Time in minutes from the initial contact with emergency medical services (EMS) to vascular access (arterial puncture) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), representing the time to initiation of the invasive procedure.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Time from First Medical Contact to Initial ECG (FMC-to-ECG Time)

    Time frame: From time of initial patient contact by EMS personnel to time of first ECG, assessed during prehospital phase (typically within 1 hour)

    Time in minutes from the first contact with emergency medical services (EMS) personnel-defined as the moment EMS arrives at the patient-to completion of the first 12-lead ECG.

  2. Time from First Medical Contact to Emergency Department Admission (FMC-to-ED Admission Time)

    Time frame: From time of first medical contact to ED admission, assessed on the day of presentation (typically within 4 hours)

    Time in minutes from first EMS contact to arrival and registration at the emergency department.

  3. Emergency Department Length of Stay

    Time frame: From time of ED admission to ED discharge, assessed during index visit (typically within 24 hours)

    Duration in minutes from emergency department registration to transfer or discharge from the ED.

  4. Total Hospital Length of Stay

    Time frame: From ED admission to hospital discharge, assessed during index hospitalization (up to 14 days)

    Duration in minutes from emergency department admission to hospital discharge (from acute care facility).

  5. Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE)

    Time frame: Assessed at 72 hours and at 30 days from the time of first medical contact, defined as the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS)

    Composite outcome including the occurrence of any of the following within the specified time frames: myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, all-cause mortality, stroke, or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

  6. Number of Interventions Performed During Acute Care Episode

    Time frame: From the time of first medical contact-defined as the arrival of EMS personnel at the patient's side-through hospital discharge, assessed during the full acute care episode (up to 14 days)

    Total number of interventions performed per patient from first medical contact through hospital discharge. Interventions may include prehospital treatments (e.g., defibrillation, medication administration) and in-hospital procedures such as diagnostic angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), temporary pacing, or surgery.

  7. Proportion of participants assigned to in-hospital care

    Time frame: From admission to discharge, during index hospitalization (up to 14 days)

    Proportion of participants assigned to each predefined category of in-hospital care, based on the most resource-intensive setting they were treated in during the index hospitalization. The categories include:

    • Emergency Department (ED) only
    • Direct to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
    • Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
    • Intermediate Care Unit
    • Other Cardiac Unit
    • General Care Unit
    • External Care Institution (e.g., step-down or rehabilitation facility)

    Unit of Measure: Percentage of participants (%)

  8. Clinical Utility: Sensitivity, Specificity, Negative Predictive Value (NPV), and Positive Predictive Value (PPV).

    Time frame: From the time of EMS assessment (first medical contact) to confirmation of final diagnosis at hospital discharge (typically within 7-14 days)

    Diagnostic performance of prehospital assessment for identifying patients with Myocardial infarction. Includes calculation of sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV), using confirmed diagnosis (ICD-code) at discharge as reference standard.

  9. Incidence of Other Time-Critical Medical Conditions

    Time frame: Assessed up to 30 days from the time of first medical contact by emergency medical services (EMS)

    Number of participants diagnosed with other time-critical medical conditions within 30 days of first medical contact. These may include but are not limited to: stroke, sepsis, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism, or major trauma.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jakob Lederman, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

0812313189 ext. +46

Sebastian Bjöhle, Doctoral student

CONTACT

[email protected]

0812312078 ext. +46

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Karolinska Institutet

Other

Collaborators

  • Region Stockholm

Registry information

Official study title

High-Sensitivity Troponin I in Addition to Guideline-Based Care in Emergency Medical Service - an Open Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: TIGER

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 6, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 2, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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