< 85 U/mL
. Red-top tube.
■ A new cardiac marker test. The binding properties of albumin
change when it comes into contact with ischemic heart tissue
(ischemia-modified albumin [IMA]) making it less able to bind
with cobalt. When a cobalt solution is added to the serum,
cobalt binds to the normal albumin but not to IMA. More free,
or unbound, cobalt indicates the presence of abnormal
albumin.
■ Level rises within a few minutes of the onset of cardiac
ischemia. Allows a greater window of time for therapeutic
intervention as other markers only detect cardiac muscle
necrosis, not ischemia.
■ Used in conjunction with ECG and troponin levels to evaluate
etiology of chest pain.
