Biosite Triage ProfilER symptom panel

Shipments of the "shortness-of-breath" test panel to distinguish among congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism and heart attack will begin after the product debuts at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry annual meeting in Los Angeles July 25-29. Within 15 minutes, ER test-givers can measure five biomarkers: BNP, D-dimer, myoglobin, CK-MB and troponin I (1"The Gray Sheet" May 10, 2004, p. 23). The panel will "eliminate the need for the hospital to obtain multiple blood samples or employ one or more laboratory-based analyzers to accomplish multiple tests," Biosite states in a June 30 release announcing 510(k) clearance. The San Diego firm is emphasizing the assay's potential to combat "overcrowding" in emergency departments...