Usefulness of heart-type fatty acid binding protein in the emergency department

The early diagnosis of many diseases is critical, especially in the Emergency Department. Biochemical markers can be helpful for emergency physicians in these critical situations. Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) is one of the promising plasma markers for the detection of tissue injury. H-FABP is known to be released from injured myocardium. It is also expressed in skeletal muscle, the kidney, brain, lactating mammary gland, and placenta. It can be useful in the management of acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, renal and hepatic injury, and some cases of poisonings. In this review, an updated overview of the role of H-FABP in the management of diseases seen frequently in the Emergency Department is presented.