Then the researchers repeated the test on another set of 1,126 patients in Scotland and 308 patients in the United States with similar results.

Dr. Atul Anand, of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland said, “The ultimate goal would be to have a single blood draw for the majority of patients.”  He added that the new study shows that people testing below 5 ng/L are not in immediate danger and could be able to go back home for treatment by their regular physicians.

The test isn’t perfect, however, and the researchers caution it must be used in conjunction with standard testing, such as electrocardiograms and evaluations by doctors and nurses.  They also caution that the test is less reliable if done within the first two hours of the start of the symptoms.

The researchers plan to continue to evaluate the test in real-world conditions.  Currently the test is available in Europe, but not in the United States.

The findings of the study were published in The Lancet.