Evaluation of Cardiac Troponin Results in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Single-Center Experience

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate cardiac troponin levels in pediatric patients presenting with chest pain to the Emergency Department and to analyze their association with demographic and laboratory parameters. Methods: This retrospective study included 1257 pediatric patients who presented with chest pain to the Emergency Department of Gaziantep City Hospital between 09.10.2023 and 04.10.2024. Data on age, sex, CK-MB, WBC, NEU, LYM, CRP, and troponin levels were analyzed. Patients with missing data were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25. Depending on data distribution, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used (p<0.05 considered significant). Results: Of the patients, 52.3% were female and 47.7% male. Troponin levels were within normal limits in 97% of cases, and elevated in 3%. Troponin levels were significantly higher in male patients (p<0.05). A statistically significant correlation was found between CK-MB and troponin levels (p<0.05). No significant correlation was found between troponin and inflammatory markers such as WBC, NEU, LYM, and CRP (p>0.05). Conclusion: Troponin levels were found to be associated with sex and CK-MB, but not with inflammatory markers. These findings suggest that while troponin testing may help evaluate pediatric chest pain, clinical assessment and other laboratory findings must be considered to avoid unnecessary testing and ensure effective management.