MUSC hospital first in South Carolina to adopt rapid bedside heart attack test

New technology delivers results in 15 minutes, accelerating emergency care

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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MUSC Health Florence Medical Center is the first hospital in South Carolina to implement Abbott's i-STAT 1 instrument with the high-sensitivity troponin I cartridge, a rapid bedside test that can detect heart attacks in about 15 minutes. Traditional tests can take up to an hour and often require lab processing, delaying critical treatment decisions in emergency settings.

Why it matters

The new rapid bedside test is expected to help emergency teams act faster and save more lives by quickly ruling out or confirming heart attacks. This technology represents a significant advancement in cardiac care that can improve patient outcomes.

The details

The i-STAT 1 instrument measures low levels of cardiac troponin I, a protein released when the heart muscle is damaged, and delivers results in about 15 minutes at the patient's bedside. Leaders called this a 'once in a decade type of change' that will accelerate critical treatment decisions in emergency settings.

  • The new rapid bedside test is now being used in the MUSC Health Florence Medical Center emergency department.

The players

MUSC Health Florence Medical Center

A hospital located in Florence, South Carolina that is the first in the state to implement Abbott's rapid bedside heart attack test.

Abbott

A medical device company that manufactures the i-STAT 1 instrument and high-sensitivity troponin I cartridge used in the rapid bedside heart attack test.

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The takeaway

The rapid bedside heart attack test represents a significant advancement in cardiac care that can improve patient outcomes by accelerating critical treatment decisions in emergency settings. This technology is expected to help emergency teams act faster and save more lives by quickly ruling out or confirming heart attacks.