Health · Medical Research · 2 days ago
Global survey finds many labs lack child-specific troponin ranges
Cardiac troponin is a protein released into the blood when heart muscle is damaged, and doctors use blood tests to measure it.
A global survey found that many laboratories testing children rely on ranges designed for adults to decide whether a result is abnormal.
Of the laboratories that offered the test, 65.5% said they did not have reference ranges made for children.
Heart attacks are rare in children, but doctors use troponin tests to assess conditions including heart infections, Kawasaki disease and heart damage from cancer treatment.
The survey found that clinics with child-specific ranges used different cutoffs, with no agreed way to set them.
This matters because adult ranges, or one general range for children, may not give doctors a reliable result for every condition.
The researchers called for coordinated work to develop child-specific ranges and clearer guidance.
An International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine committee surveyed pediatric cardiac troponin testing worldwide.
The survey found that 58.5% of eligible respondents offered cardiac troponin testing in-house.
Among laboratories offering in-house testing, 65.5% lacked reference intervals specific to children and often relied on adult ranges.
Some clinics had developed child-specific benchmarks, but their cutoffs differed and there was no agreed method for setting them.
Researchers said children’s varied conditions require benchmarks tailored to specific conditions rather than one general range borrowed from healthy children.
- Who
- The IFCC Committee on Emerging Technologies in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine and laboratories that test children
- What
- A global survey examined pediatric cardiac troponin testing and found gaps in child-specific reference intervals
- When
- Published October 10, 2026
- Where
- Worldwide
- Why
- To assess testing practices and the need for reliable, condition-specific pediatric benchmarks and guidance
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The IFCC Pediatric Committee for Emerging Technologies and I personally were driven by the belief that children deserve diagnostic care built around their biology, not borrowed from adult medicine
To advance precision child health, we now need coordinated global action to develop pediatric reference intervals, strengthen clinical guidance, and ensure every child receives results that are accurate, meaningful, and equitable.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Eligible respondents offering in-house testing
- 58.5%
- In-house testing laboratories without child-specific reference intervals
- 65.5%
- Survey organization
- IFCC Committee on Emerging Technologies in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine
- Journal
- Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
- Publication date
- October 10, 2026
Sources
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